Rivalry
by Nightglider124
Summary: AU. Ashwell High School and Raymere High School have always been rivals; except Ashwell care too much about it. During a game, Richard Grayson notices one beautiful girl who seemingly doesn't care about the rivalry and he becomes smitten soon afterwards. However, what trouble will he face about having feelings for a girl of the opposing team? R&R Please!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans.

 **Author's Note:** I don't know exactly why but I'm pretty sure I channelled High School Musical for this in some kind of way. Mixed with Romeo and Juliet. Yeah. That's what we'll say it is. Anyways, originally written in **2014**.

* * *

There was a bitter chill to the air despite the sky being flawlessly blue and the sun beaming down on the world and illuminating everything in its path. Autumn was an odd season; it was a lot more refreshing than the stuffy days of Summer but it was more inviting than snow filled Winter days.

The birds chirped to each other within the trees before taking off and plummeting towards the ground before skilfully pulling back up and twirling through the air.  
As the gentle breeze blew, one of the few dead leaves upon the branch of an ash tree snapped off and fluttered to the ground. While the natural serenity occurred outside, there was a science class nearing its end at Raymere High School.

The students were all practically falling asleep as the clock ticked slowly. The teacher with a monotone voice continued to drone on about the amount of galaxies and solar systems that inhabited the universe.

Among the army of bored teenagers was a boy of 17 years old. He ran a hand through his ebony hair and sighed. He closed his eyes and rested his head against his hand.

Richard Grayson was the adopted son of billionaire, Bruce Wayne and if he had to choose one thing that he did not enforce positivity into; it would be Science class. "Dick" as almost everyone called him was more of a sports type of guy considering he cherished his title of being captain of the football team at the school. He wasn't shy of popularity either. However, he wasn't labelled as the type of popular kid who made others feel bad about themselves.

Without sounding too sure of himself, Dick was well aware that practically everybody liked him. He didn't exactly have a personality that you could hate.

Dick opened his eyes and glanced around at his fellow classmates; more specifically his friends and teammates. He grinned at his best friend, Wally West who was blatantly sleeping through the class and snoring loudly too. Dick was surprised that the teacher hadn't noticed Wally's more than obvious lack of enthusiasm for the class.

Dick had known Wally since he was 9 years old; when Bruce had first adopted him. The confident kid had a mess of red hair and a pair of striking green eyes. Wally was part of the football team as well and he was one of the most valuable players too. Wally was the fastest boy on the team which caused him to be helpful during games when they had to wing it and try to place a touchdown with minimal time to spare. Wally was the one person that Dick could completely trust with anything.

Behind Wally, was Victor Stone who sat in his chair idly drumming his fingers against his desk. He was probably the nicest guy anyone could ever meet. He was quite a large African American teenager who was brutal in sports but wouldn't hurt a fly outside of his sport activities. Dick had known Vic for a long time and they had had a few arguments in the past but were generally quite close.

Across from Vic was Garfield Logan; the class clown. Garfield was the one who always made jokes to calm situations down or to break the ice in awkward ones. Dick could always count on Gar to make him laugh if his day was going downhill.

Diagonally across from Garfield was Ryan Anders. Dick had only known Ryan for a little while. He had joined the football team a couple of years ago but Dick and the guys had only started to befriend him recently. Ryan was somewhat similar to Wally in features. He had dark red hair and bright green eyes. Dick got on with Ryan though and they had shared a lot about their personal lives such as family. Dick had told Ryan about his parents and his adoption whilst Ryan had told Dick about his own parents' death and the fact that he lived with his grandfather and his twin sister. Sometimes, Dick wondered about Ryan's family. He had never personally met any of them; not even his twin sister.

Suddenly, Dick sighed in relief as the bell rang out loudly. No one in the class waited for the teachers' words of dismissal and practically sprinted out of the door. Dick threw his bag over his shoulder and headed out of the classroom behind everyone else.

He soon joined the guys outside and immediately sensed the buzzed aura associated with Wally.

"Ah man! I'm so pumped for the game tonight!" Wally gushed, fist pounding the air.

"Calm down, man. You'll give yourself a heart attack." Dick sighed, as they sat at the table outside.

"Aren't you excited, Dick?" Garfield wondered, grabbing his tofu sticks out of his bag.

Dick shrugged, "I am but... I hate playing against Ashwell... They're all so competitive and stuff." He explained.

Ashwell High School was the main rival school to Raymere. It had been a school rivalry for years and years; even before they were alive. Everyone at Raymere pretty much agreed that the rivalry was stupid and unnecessary but students at Ashwell took it _so_ seriously. They were so aggressive and self centred because they always thought they were the best and that they were above anyone else from another school.

"Well, we'll just be sure to win and rub it in their faces tonight then!" Wally cheered, earning a smirk from Dick,

"Yeah, I guess... And I get to rub it in Xavier's face specifically. God I hate that guy." Dick chuckled,

"Count yourself lucky that you only have to see his smug face at games and not practically every day." Ryan groaned, earning a sympathetic pat on the shoulder from Dick.

"Oh yeah! Isn't your sister dating him?" Vic checked. Ryan rolled his eyes but nodded nonetheless.

"The guy needs to be thrown off of a cliff or something." Garfield stated,

"Ugh. He's a jerk and they're _so_ going down tonight." Dick vowed. Wally grinned and punched his shoulder,

"Aw yeah! That's what I like to hear!" He exclaimed.

Vic cast a glance over his shoulders and smiled as he noticed the last members of their group. He turned back to the guys and jerked his thumb in their direction, "Here come the girls," He told them,

Ryan smirked as he sipped his soda, "Having withdrawal symptoms from waiting too long to suck faces with Bee?" He joked, earning a high five from Garfield.

Vic narrowed his eyes at Ryan and playfully brought him into a headlock and ruffled his hair, "Alright big guy! I give!" Ryan protested, as Vic released him with a triumphant grin.

Karen Beecher, more so known as "Bee," was Vic's girlfriend of 2 years. She was the head cheerleader and was the complete opposite of what was expected stereotypically of head cheerleaders. She was playful and kind. She had dark skin with black hair and deep chocolate eyes.

Beside her was Jenny Ashbrook; Wally's girlfriend of 3 years. She was exuberant and bubbly but she could also be blunt and sarcastic, especially towards Wally however, that was due to how comfortable they were around each other. Jenny was a hard girl to miss if you saw her. Her hair was a sickly pink colour with subtle black highlights. Her skin was pale and she had grey eyes that often reflected the pink of her hair. Jenny was also part of the cheerleading squad alongside Karen.

Lastly, there was Rachel Roth. She was a dark and mysterious girl who was hard to figure out. She was Garfield's girlfriend of 1 year. It had been hard for Garfield to tell Rachel how he felt considering she was a somewhat hard person to openly approach. Rachel had pale skin and purple cropped hair with eyes that were a dark blue almost like a midnight sky colour. Out of the girls, Rachel was the one who had been around the longest, certainly in Dick's life. Dick had known Rachel since he was 10 years old. He and Wally had rode past her on their bikes and knocked the novel that she was reading from her hands. Dick still chuckled when he thought back to how angry she was.

The girls sat at the table and they continued to talk about the game of the coming evening. Dick was getting more and more excited for it as the day progressed. He always got a slight adrenaline rush whenever they played big games with Ashwell; no matter how the score came out. Like the boys had already discussed; students of Raymere weren't as pathetic as Ashwell in thinking that winning was the only thing that mattered.

Garfield swigged a mouthful of clean water from his bottle before splashing some against his face to wake himself up. He scanned his eyes across the stands and spotted Rachel. He started waving to her to get her attention which after a couple of minutes, worked.

She nodded to him and responded with a small wave of her hand before returning to the book she had brought with her. Garfield sighed,

"I can't believe she brought a book to read." He mumbled.

Dick nudged him, "Hey, at least she's here, supporting you." He reminded him.

Garfield smirked, "Yeah... She's pretty great like that." He sighed.

Dick chuckled and stood up. He was happy for all of his friends but some part of him felt incomplete. He was constantly surrounded by happy couples and he had never been able to stay in a relationship for literally more than a few days. He had never had serious feelings for any girl. He was still hopeful that he would eventually find a girl who caused his heart to beat quickly and his palms to get sweaty but he just didn't know when he'd find that particular girl.

Dick watched as the Raymere cheerleaders began their routine. It was traditional for the cheerleaders of both schools to perform their cheer before the game began to support their home team. He smirked as he noticed Wally join in playfully with the girls. That was one thing that Dick loved about Raymere students. They were all friends with each other which caused actions like Wally's to be acceptable and humorous.

He couldn't help but cast a glance over at the opposite stands which held the visiting Ashwell students. Their facial expressions immediately gave away how little they cared for the opposing team. None of them even so much as smiled in a sportsmanship type of way. Dick shook his head. This is why he hated them so much; they thought they were above everyone else and had no idea how to be friendly with others.

As Dick gulped some of his water from his bottle, his eyes scanned over the Ashwell football team and their supporting cheerleaders. He had seen them all before of course but suddenly, he noticed one cheerleader in particular.

She was the only student out of the Ashwell population who was smiling at the Raymere cheerleaders' display. Dick smiled. She was gorgeous to say the least; she had dark red hair and tanned skin that seemed to highlight her deep, jade eyes.

He guessed that he hadn't noticed her before because she was one of the backing cheerleaders but now he noticed that she wore the black wristband, signifying that she was head cheerleader.

Dick gulped but continued smiling as her eyes locked with his from across the field. The girl bashfully flashed him a smile and brushed some of her hair behind her ear. Dick couldn't help but smirk at this odd little moment that he was sharing with the mystery girl.

He looked away and clapped as the cheerleaders and Wally finished the routine.

Kori Anders cast her eyes downwards after sharing eye contact with the dark haired boy sitting across from her. She was the twin sister to Ryan and yet she couldn't name a single one of the guys that he played football with. As close as she and Ryan were, they hardly spoke about school to each other. There would be no point considering neither would understand properly on account of attending different schools.

Kori clapped as the Raymere cheerleaders finished their cheer routine but felt a hand against her shoulder. She glanced up at Kitten and frowned.

Kitten Moth was one of Kori's fellow cheerleading 'friends' and she used that term loosely. She disliked many people at her own school but Kitten definitely won the award for who she hated the most. She was so materialistic and self centred; two things that Kori could not stand.

"What are you doing, Kori?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, "They're our rivals, remember?"

Kori raised an eyebrow, "And that means I cannot clap for their performance?" She asked, wondering if she was being serious,

"Right," Terra joined in. Terra Markov was similar to Kitten but she wasn't as materialistic but she could be just as mean and spiteful.

"But... It is good sportsmanship to-" She was cut off by another cheerleader,

"Blah, blah, blah. It's the way things work, Kori. You know that." Barbra stated, flipping some of her hair over her shoulder. Barbra Gordon was the girl that Kori least disliked. Of course, she still didn't like her but Barbra wasn't quite as bad as Kitten and Terra and Kori could usually tolerate her.

"Sides, Xavier would go nuts if he saw you supporting the enemy." Terra added, causing Kori to frown. _X'hal, she makes it sound as though we are at war._ Kori thought.

Kori sighed as she looked over at her boyfriend. She knew all too well that she did _not_ belong at Ashwell; she was so very different to the other students. She was far from self centred and she would rather help someone through a problem whereas her fellow classmates would laugh and ridicule them. She had no real friends there.

She stood up as she realised it was their turn to perform their routine for Ashwell. She held back another sigh as she noticed Xavier wandering over to her with a smug smirk.

He placed his hands on her delicate waist and roughly pulled her close to him, "Hey babe... Good luck with the routine." He murmured,

"Thank you, Xavier," She replied, politely. Kori made a face and rolled her eyes in annoyance as he began kissing her jaw line and her neck.

"You know... You're uniform makes you look incredibly hot... It makes me wanna rip it-"

Kori cut his vulgar statement short by patting his shoulder and laughing nervously, "I should go and start the routine..." She mumbled, stepping out of his embrace.

Xavier nodded and was quick to smack her behind. Kori stood completely still for a moment as her eyes widened. She swallowed the anger that built within her and exhaled loudly. She continued to walk onto the field with the other cheerleaders trailing behind her.

She had once been in love with Xavier. They had now been together for approximately 3 years and for the first 2 years, she had been extremely happy being in a relationship with him. However, in the past year, he had changed so very much. He seemingly only wanted one thing from her nowadays. He had also come into drugs in recent months and that had affected his behaviour a lot. He would continuously be paranoid when she was not with him and at times, he would be very aggressive and intimidating towards her. Kori wanted to break up with Xavier but she didn't know how to do it. She was worried that he would react badly which seemed highly likely, in truth.

Dick watched the small display between the red headed girl and Xavier very closely. He realised instantly that the girl must have been Ryan's sister, Kori. Dick wasn't sure why but he gritted his teeth as he observed the somewhat dysfunctional couple across the field from him. It made him angry that Xavier could get away with acting like such a pig towards such a beautiful girl.

He was reeled into a trance as he witnessed Kori jumping, dancing and flipping in an enthusiastic way. Cheerleading seemed to suit the kind of person he assumed she was. Just from the gaze they shared a couple of minutes ago, he knew for a fact that she was _not_ like the other students that attended Ashwell High for the plain fact; she had smiled back at him instead of shrugging him of like he was vermin.

Dick shook his head and noticed that they had stopped performing. He smiled and clapped along like the rest of the students of Raymere. Although the rest of the cheerleaders turned away like there was no one applauding them, Kori took a chance and smiled in the direction of the Raymere students.

He wasn't sure if she did it absentmindedly or not, but he couldn't help but get a small rush of emotions as Kori's smile rested with him.

Suddenly, the coach blew his whistle loudly which gave the team the signal that it was time to start the game. Dick exhaled a breath and stood up. Once again, he saw a scene that made him want to punch Xavier in the face even more than usual.

He watched as the psychopath grabbed Kori and forcefully gave her a tongue bath that, by Kori's expression, she did not enjoy in the slightest. Sure, Dick had never spoken to Kori but he still felt that it was wrong to treat a girlfriend like she was nothing more than a piece of meat.

Dick pulled his helmet on and joined the others who had already began running onto the field and getting into position. He secured his black captain armband and looked ahead and eyed Xavier who looked as smug as ever.

"Get the tissues, Grayson... You're gonna be crying like a baby once this game is over." He remarked,

"In your dreams, Xavier." Dick retorted, rolling his eyes. His point was continuously proven about kids from Ashwell being self centred, over confident jerks.

Kori watched the game intently from the sidelines. She always enjoyed watching Ashwell VS Raymere because more often than not, Raymere would win and she felt happy for her brother's victory. However, when Ashwell occasionally won, she didn't exactly care for it as it was followed by a conceited Xavier talking about how much skill it takes to compete in football. It infuriated Kori to no end when he would talk about himself as if he were superior to everyone else around him.

She bit her lip in anticipation. The score was currently not in Raymere's favour. Kori honestly couldn't deal with a night of listening to Xavier talk about himself. In the last couple of minutes, Raymere needed to get two more touchdowns to simply draw even. She tapped her knees as she hoped the victory would fall to Raymere tonight.

The air horn sounded, signalling the end of the game. Kori sighed and her shoulders slumped at the outcome.

Of course, Ashwell had been victorious tonight.

Wally pouted like a child as he and the others wandered up the street towards their local diner. Jenny noticed this and slipped her hand within his,

"Wally, c'mon... Chin up..." She sighed,

"I hate losing to Ashwell, Jen. They're such arrogant jerks and it pisses me off." He complained,

"I know but... You can always show them up next time. I know you guys can do it," Jenny urged, giving him a reassuring grin. Wally glanced at her and couldn't resist smirking at her. It was part of the reason that he loved her. He could be a complete pain in the ass and yet, Jenny would still be there, trying to reassure him of things. The red headed boy wrapped his arms around her and softly kissed her lips. He paused and rested his forehead against hers,

"Thanks," He mumbled, grateful for her attempt at cheering him up,

"You're welcome, red." She replied, grinning.

"Ugh. You guys just result in reminding me that I'm alone." Ryan groaned, placing his hand upon the door of the diner.

"Dude... Didn't you have a date the other night?" Garfield reminded him,

"Yeah... What's your point?"

"You could choose to not be alone if you actually gave one of your dates a chance at a second date."

"Eh... I don't like any of them that much though..." Ryan shrugged. Karen rolled her eyes and lightly punched his shoulder,

"And _that_ is why you do not have a girlfriend," She commented, shaking her head.

Ryan chuckled and they slowly filed into the diner. The group practically froze as they noticed the team that they had lost to that night sitting in the corner, accompanied by their supportive group of cheerleaders.

Dick rolled his eyes and pointed to a booth by the window, "Let's just sit there and try to ignore them, guys." He suggested, earning a couple of nods.

He waited as everyone piled into the booth and glanced over at the Ashwell students. He was searching for Kori. He had an idea that she would've been dragged along to the diner at Xavier's request.

He spotted her sitting on the end, next to Xavier who had his arm slung around her shoulders as if warning all other guys that she was his property.

Dick took a seat on the end after the others had sat down but kept his eyes on Kori.  
He watched as Xavier leaned closer to her and whispered something in her ear. She nodded to him and pushed herself out from the booth. She strolled up to the counter and ordered something. Dick smiled as he noticed Kori's friendly attitude towards the waitress behind the counter.

Dick gulped and slid out from the booth, telling the others that he was going to get some coffee while he decided what he was going to eat.

He straightened up and walked over to the counter; standing just beside Kori without being close enough for it to seem creepy.

Kori slowly turned her head towards him with a small smile. Did she recognise him? He hoped so.

He instantly returned the smile as he mentally noted how much more beautiful she was up close, "Hey," He greeted,

"Hello," She replied,

"Your uh... Your cheer routine was really good tonight,"

"Thank you... I apologise for the outcome of the game..."

Dick chuckled, "It's fine... Oh! I'm Richard Grayson, by the way... But, most people call me Dick."

Kori smirked, "I am Korina Anders... However, most people call me Kori,"

Dick mirrored her smirk and they gently shook each other's hand, "You're Ryan's sister, Right?" He checked,

"Guilty." She answered; earning a light chuckle from Dick.

He continued to smile and stare at her until Kori giggled and brushed some of her hair behind her ear, nervously, "What?" She prompted,

Dick shook his head, "Nothing... I'm just surprised. Most people from your school would rather set fire to themselves than talk to their 'Rivals',"

Kori rolled her eyes and groaned, "Truthfully, I believe the rivalry between our two schools is ridiculous and pointless. Students from my school are so quick to judge others from your school without even knowing them. It is so stupid."

Dick felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards. _She was definitely different from the rest of the kids at Ashwell._

"I think that way, too. No offense, but it really is your school that has the grudge. I mean, no one from Raymere cares about the rivalry..."

Kori giggled, "No offense taken. I agree with you."

"So, I take it that you don't like your school?"

Kori sighed, "Mm... Consider it this way... If I had the chance to go back and change my schooling choice... It would be done before anyone even realised."

Dick nodded and felt sympathy for her. It must be hard having to go to a school every day that you hate and seeing people that you have little tolerance for.

He opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself when he noticed Xavier making his way over to them.

Kori's eyes widened as she felt his hands on her waist but she knew they would probably end up going lower on her body. Dick noted Kori's facial expression harden as she felt irritated by his lack of respect for her personal space and how inappropriate his crude gesture was. Dick narrowed his eyes at Xavier in disgust for his continuous behaviour towards Kori.

"Babe, you've been up here for ages. You work here; can't you just go behind the counter and get the stuff?" He asked,

Kori exhaled and half turned towards him, "I have only been working here for a couple of weeks, Xavier... So, no... I cannot." She told him, defiantly,

Xavier rolled his eyes and in the process, noted Dick standing next to them. He flashed him a smug grin,

"Sorry that you lost tonight, Dick... I guess the better team won, huh?" He stated,

Dick snorted, "All you had tonight was luck, Xavier."

"Yeah. You tell that to the last oh, what is it? 6 times we've beaten you?"

"Careful, Xavier... You're pathetic is starting to show considering you keep track of feeble things such as the scores."

Kori felt awkward as she stood between the two boys who were now silently glaring at each other until the other backed off. She sighed but turned around towards the counter immediately when she heard that her order was ready.

Dick turned around too and took the tray of drinks before Kori could. She watched him with curiosity as he took a step closer to Xavier.

He suddenly thrust the tray against Xavier's chest, catching him off guard as he stumbled slightly whilst grabbing the tray. Dick slowly broke into a smirk, "Don't hurt yourself, big boy." He advised, in a hushed and smug tone.

Xavier's jaw visibly set and he turned back towards his table without saying another word to Dick, "Kori, let's go." He demanded,

Kori clasped her hands in front of her and smirked in amusement at Xavier's humiliation at the hands of Dick. She glanced at him and smiled whilst she lifted a hand, signalling goodbye.

Dick watched her as she followed behind Xavier and briefly mirrored her hand gesture. He lowered his hand and bit his lip as he refrained from giving into the smirk that was fighting to show upon his face...


	2. Chapter 2

Dick yawned and stretched his arms above his head as he stepped outside of school. Whenever the school day ended, he always felt a sense of relief like he could just chill out. He jogged down the front steps of the school and secured his bag upon his shoulder. He had never been happier about football practice getting cancelled considering he just wanted to go home and take a nap.

Suddenly, he noticed Rachel was talking to a girl who looked very familiar. He got closer to them and smiled. The red hair gave her identity away to him immediately. Kori.

He felt his heart race a little but he tried to act casual as he strolled over to the two girls. Rachel turned to him with a ghost of a smile upon her lips, "Hey Rae," He greeted, earning a nod from Rachel.

His voice must have caught Kori's attention because she glanced up at him and smiled. Dick mirrored her expression and shoved his hands into his pockets, "Hey again..." He murmured,

Kori giggled, "Hello,"

"Small world, huh?" He stated, earning a small nod from Kori.

Rachel glanced between them and raised an eyebrow, "Um... Am I missing something?" She wondered, confused on how they knew each other.

"Oh! I met your friend, Richard last night, after the football game." Kori explained, causing Rachel to nod in understanding.

"How do you guys know each other, then?" Dick queried, leaning against the tree that they were talking by.

Rachel flashed a smile at Kori, "I've known Kori for about as long as I've known you."

"That long, huh?" Dick chuckled, "You know, Kori... You should hang out with us more often. I'm pretty sure that we'd be better company than your fellow Ashwell classmates."

Kori smirked, "I do not doubt that you would be."

Dick matched her expression and felt Rachel nudge his chest. He turned to her with an eyebrow raised, "Yeah?" He asked,

"Feel like giving me a ride home?" She questioned,

Dick rolled his eyes, "Do I _have_ to?"

"Dick, don't even try it. I know things about you which I'm sure Kori would love to hear about. Y'know... Embarrassing childhood things."

Kori raised her fingers to her lips and quietly giggled. Dick narrowed his eyes at Rachel and sighed, "Alright, alright, Roth."

Rachel grinned at Kori in a triumphant way. She leaned forward and gave Kori a quick hug, "I'll talk to you later, okay Kor?" She vowed,

Kori nodded, "Alright, Rachel," She replied.

Rachel turned away from Dick and Kori and walked over to the passenger's side of Dick's car. She got in and placed her bag on her lap.

Dick half turned away from Kori but a part of him wanted to keep talking to her, "Uh... Did you want a ride home too, Kori?" He wondered,

Kori clasped her hands in front of her and smiled at him, "No thank you... I am on my way to meet Xavier... I just stopped to talk to Rachel," She explained,

Dick grinned and screwed his face up, "Eurgh. Xavier." He chuckled,

Kori giggled, "I realised after last night that you are the one he constantly refers to as the and quote, 'Cocky jerk from Raymere'."

Dick smirked, "Aw, so he _does_ think about me," He joked, causing Kori to burst out laughing.

"You have a really nice laugh by the way..." Dick blurted out, praying that his cheeks didn't turn pink.

"I hate it," Kori returned, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"You shouldn't." Dick told her.

Kori stared at Dick and allowed her emerald eyes to meld with his crystal ones. She couldn't quite explain it but Kori had started to feel strange when she talked to the ebony haired boy in front of her. He was very sweet and very charming; it would be difficult not to like him.

Dick jumped suddenly as the moment between himself and Kori was interrupted by the honking of his car horn. Kori giggled whereas Dick turned and glared at Rachel.

The dark girl rolled down the window and shrugged, "It was a ghost." Rachel deadpanned,  
Dick rolled his eyes and turned back to Kori, who slowly started to step away from him,

"Perhaps... I shall see you around?" She assumed,

"Hopefully," Dick responded, noting that Kori's cheeks turned red and she timidly smiled at him.

Kori nodded, "Goodbye, Richard,"

"Bye Kori," He stated.

Dick watched her as she spun around and continued to walk down the street to meet Xavier. He sighed deeply and absentmindedly smiled at the sight of her.

He didn't know if he was developing a crush on Kori or not, but he definitely knew there was something strange happening considering his heart sped up and his stomach fluttered when he saw her. He cleared his throat and shook his head to bring himself out of his thoughts.

Dick walked over to his car and got into the driver's seat. He could sense Rachel's eyes on him as he pulled away from the kerb and began driving.

After a moment, Dick turned his head towards her and raised an eyebrow, "Can I help you?" He asked, jokingly,

"Do you like Kori?" She queried,

Dick gulped, "Huh? Yeah, she's uh... She's a nice girl..."

"You know what I mean. Do you _like_ her?"

"I only started talking to her last night,"

"So?"

"Maybe a little... I don't know yet..."

Rachel smirked and sat back in the seat, "For what it's worth... She was acting more girly than usual around you."

Dick digested that bit of information and he couldn't stop himself from giving into a small smirk...


	3. Chapter 3

A couple of days passed and one day after practice, they guys decided to head back to Ryan's house to hang out. Dick was somewhat nervous as they approached the front door. He hadn't seen or spoken to Kori in a couple of days and he knew it was highly likely that she would be home.

"Did you guys wanna order pizza or something in a while?" Ryan asked, ushering them into the house after unlocking the door,

Wally grinned at Ryan, "Man, now you're speaking my language."

"I swear you'd befriend just about anyone who brought up the topic of food." Vic interjected,

Wally shrugged, "What's your point?" He retorted, earning a head shake from Vic. They all wandered into the kitchen and Garfield raised an eyebrow at the sound of loud music that made the room seemingly start to vibrate.

"You got a club upstairs or something?" Garfield queried, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge for himself and Ryan.

Ryan shook his head and rolled his eyes, "It's my sister. She's always practicing her stupid cheer routines." He explained. He took a step towards the stairs and stumbled over a small creature. Ryan stood up straight and looked down at the small white Labrador puppy that had caused him to trip. He growled and continued to march over to the bottom of the stairs.

"KORI! TURN THE MUSIC DOWN AND TEACH YOUR STUPID DOG TO STOP GETTING IN MY WAY!" Ryan yelled.

The music became quieter for a moment and Dick smirked before swigging some water from his bottle, knowing that Kori had something to say to that.

"HE PROBABLY BELIEVES YOU ARE STUPID ALSO, RYAN!" Kori shouted back.

Ryan growled and wandered back into the kitchen and was met with a grin from Wally,

"Burn..." He teased, earning a light shove from Ryan.

"Feel lucky that you guys don't have any sisters." Ryan told them,

Dick snorted, "Oh yeah, I feel so lucky having Tim and Jason as my brothers."

Ryan chuckled as Dick sighed and got to his feet,

"Hey... Uh... Where's your bathroom, dude?" Dick wondered,

"Upstairs... Last door on the left; past my sister's room." Ryan told him.

Dick nodded and walked out of the kitchen. Okay... So he had lied a little bit. He didn't really need to go to the bathroom; he just wanted to talk to Kori again. Ever since he first spoke to her at the diner, he couldn't shake the feelings he felt when he talked to her. He jogged up the stairs and stepped closer to what he assumed was Kori's room.

Her door was open slightly and he noticed that she was sitting on her bed with her laptop out in front of her. He smiled at the sight of her. She was just _so_ beautiful; it was hard _not_ to look at her.

Suddenly, Kori's puppy ran past Dick and caused him to wobble slightly. Kori glanced over at her door and smiled. Dick didn't have time to explain himself so he tried to play it cool by just smiling back.

Kori giggled, "Hello, Richard,"

Dick nodded, "Hey, Kori."

Kori got to her feet and wandered over to the door. Dick leaned against the door frame and stared at her as she moved.

"I did not realise that Ryan had friends with him. What are you all doing?"

Dick shrugged, "Just practicing and hanging out,"

Kori nodded,

"Can I ask something?" Dick wondered,

"Of course," Kori agreed,

"How comes you don't go to our school?"

"Ryan and I are twins. When it came to choosing which schools we would attend, we wanted our own individuality and we thought that if we attended the same school, we would be unable to get that. The only problem to that was... Ryan got to attend the good school."

Dick furrowed his eyebrows as he felt sympathetic towards her, "Why don't you just transfer?"

Kori looked at him with an expression of disbelief, "There is just over a year and a half until I will be leaving for college... It seems like a waste of time... No, I must simply endure..."

"That can't be healthy."

Kori giggled and opened her mouth to speak but the ringing of her phone stopped her. She reached into the pocket of her shorts and brought it out to look at the caller ID. She groaned.

"Not a fan of the caller?" Dick asked. Kori showed him the name on her phone, "Eww... Xavier."

Kori smiled but it was quickly followed with a sigh, "I should answer..."

"Don't."

Kori smirked, "I must-"

Dick grinned, "Don't do it. Don't answer."

Kori giggled but covered her mouth soon afterwards and sobered up as she answered the phone, "Hello?" She began.

Dick grinned and started making faces to her whilst she attempted to talk to her boyfriend. Kori couldn't help herself and giggled slightly, "Who am I with?" Kori repeated Xavier's words,

Dick's eyes lit up at the prospect of irritating Xavier by letting him know that he was with his girlfriend. He motioned for Kori to give him the phone but she responded by shaking her head. Dick playfully pouted and mouthed, 'You're no fun' to her.

Kori cleared her throat and continued talking, "Mhm... Yes... Well, no- But... Yes. I understand. Bye... I love you too."

Dick wondered for a brief moment what it would be like if she said that to him.

Kori ended the call and sighed. Dick tilted his head at her, "Everything okay?" He quizzed,

She shrugged, "Just Xavier telling me what to do... Again." She breathed,

"I know it's not really my place and I'm not exactly entitled to an opinion but..."

Kori gently touched his arm, "Of course you are entitled to an opinion, Richard. You know enough about Xavier to be able to comment..."

"Why are you with him? He treats you like crap, Kori and you don't deserve that."

"... I do not?"

"Of course you don't! Kori... You're so much nicer than anyone else at your school and you deserve to have a boyfriend who is sweet and kind and treats you like a princess and actually cares about you."

Kori stared up at him and smiled softly. She gently brushed some of her hair behind her ear, "Thank you," She said, quietly, "Perhaps one day... I will gain the courage to do the breaking up with him..."

"Do you love him?"

Kori gazed at him for a minute, determining her response. Dick wasn't joking now whilst he asked her this; she could tell by how serious his expression was. She shook her head and Dick gave her a look which was a mix between sympathy and confidence in the fact that she could do a lot better than Xavier Jones.

Dick shook his head and offered her a soft smile, "Do you wanna hang out with us? I mean, we're mostly just practicing in the street... You live on a surprisingly quiet street, y'know."

Kori smirked and nodded, "I will join you shortly..."

Dick nodded and headed back downstairs.

Kori stared after him with a fond smile. She really did enjoy it when Dick was around her. He was nice to speak to and she had to admit that she was already developing a small crush on him. He reminded her of how Xavier used to be at the start of their relationship but she had a feeling that Dick wouldn't end up the same way.

Wally threw the football into the distance and used his hands to project his voice, "Gar! Go long!" He shouted. Garfield spotted the football heading in his direction and he began to run from side to side,

"I got it! I got it! I-" He was cut off as the football hit him in the head before bouncing across the street.

Dick and Ryan stood and stared to determine whether or not he was okay. Garfield suddenly sat up with a frown.

"I don't got it!" He yelled. Wally laughed and shook his head at his friend.

Suddenly, the boys turned their heads towards the sound of the front door opening slightly. Dick smiled as he watched Kori step out into the sunlight, with a book in hand.

"Hey, sis." Ryan greeted,

"Would it be okay to read out here while you and your friends practice?" She asked, taking a seat on the wall that ran along the sides of their drive.

Ryan smiled, "Sure," He paused and turned to his friends, "Guys, this is my twin sister, Kori... Kor, these are the guys. That's Wally, Vic, Garfield and Dick,"

The boys all greeted her politely and Dick simply smiled, "Yeah, we met at the diner the other night."

Ryan smirked, "Was she being the usual crappy waitress?"

Kori pulled a face at him and threw a scrunched up piece of paper at him, "I was not working." She laughed,

"Nope. It was the night we lost. Remember? You were busy being consoled by that girl-" Dick was cut off,

"Dude! Not in front of my sister. I'll never hear the end of it!" Ryan mumbled. Kori smiled and shook her head as she crossed her right leg over her left.

Wally shook his head and put his hands up, "I'm sorry but I've gotta say it... Ryan, your sister is hot."

Kori immediately blushed a bright red colour and timidly ducked her head. Dick slyly smirked at Wally's comment. Obviously, he completely agreed with Wally's statement but he would never be bold enough to blurt it out like that.

"Mm... Remind me... Who's that Jenny girl again?" Vic chuckled,

Wally rolled his eyes, "Oh come on... I love Jen to pieces; you guys know that. But, I'm still a guy and if I notice a hot girl, I obviously have to say it. Duh!"

Ryan visibly cringed, "Can we please play? You guys talking about my sister is making me wanna puke."

The guys chuckled and began to get back into their game. Kori opened her book and allowed her eyes to start scanning the words and sentences, absorbing the story into her mind.

As the sun beat down on them, the boys began to get hotter and they decided to discard their shirts from their bodies before they continued to play. Kori gulped as she fought not to cast a glance in Dick's direction. However, curiosity of how his body looked got the best of her.

Kori flickered her eyes over to the dark haired boy that had recently caused a spark within her. She felt her cheeks heat up as she noted how well toned his arms and abdomen was. Kori felt like the most stereotypical girl in the world; awkwardly checking out one of her brother's friends.

Dick must've sensed Kori staring at him because he looked back at her. Kori's eyes widened and she immediately looked down at her book. She didn't dare look back up at him in case she was caught staring again although; she did allow a secret smirk to find its way onto her lips...


	4. Chapter 4

Dick hissed in pain as he wandered out of the double doors of the school. He had recently ended up hurting his shoulder so he had been excused from attending football practice until he had recovered and he felt fully able to participate. He threw his bag over his good shoulder and continued to stroll away from the premises. The school was practically abandoned as soon as the bell rang out that signalled the end of the day. In the space of a minute, all of the students would have evacuated from the school grounds.

He sighed. While Dick was unable to do much on account of his shoulder, he was also forbidden from driving considering he had to use his arms and shoulders to steer. He groaned as he thought of the walk home. There was a bitter chill that accompanied the light breeze that gently shook the trees and he could smell the fresh scent of the earth alongside the distant scent of a bonfire burning away to flickering embers. Autumn wasn't his absolute favourite of the four seasons but he guessed he could endure it for the 30 minute walk back to the manor.

As he strolled down the street, his eyes focused on a certain building that caused his mind to change his original route.

Dick gulped as he placed a hand against one of the doors that led into the diner. He had been hoping that Kori might be working. He was aware that Ashwell High finished earlier than Raymere so it wasn't a crazy guess.

He stepped inside and was met with the familiar aroma of hot and freshly prepared food. Dick couldn't see Kori and gave into a heavy sigh. He had looked forward to seeing her beautiful face this afternoon but he couldn't spot her at all. He felt a sudden rumble within his stomach and shrugged, deciding to eat there anyway.

He took a seat at the counter and grabbed a menu. He scanned his eyes over the options and tilted his head from side to side as he considered the available options.

Suddenly, the plastic covered menu was snatched from his hands and his heart swelled at what filled its place. Kori favoured him with a playful smile and leaned on her elbows, against the counter top.

Dick smirked and rolled his eyes, "Wow, the service here is terrible," He joked,

Kori mocked a hurt expression and lightly punched his damaged shoulder, not knowing about his current injury. Dick gritted his teeth and winced at the small amount of pain that rippled through his shoulder.

Kori's eyes widened as she realised that she had actually caused him pain. Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped while the other softly rested against his offended shoulder.

"I am so sorry!" She squeaked,

"It's okay, Kor... That's why I'm not at practice... Bad shoulder and all..." He replied, gently massaging his injured shoulder.

"I did not realise... I hope I did not irritate the pain too much..."

"It's really okay, Kor..." He smirked, "I wonder what it'd be like if you punched me for real. I bet I'd lose my arm completely."

Kori giggled but ducked her head, "I do not believe we should try that."

Dick nodded but his grin remained fixed onto his features. Kori raised an eyebrow and playfully placed a hand on her hip,

"Are you here to consume food or... Did you simply wish to visit?" She asked, tilting her head slightly,

Dick felt confident so he flashed her a lopsided grin, "A little bit of both,"

Kori blinked at him before her cheeks turned crimson. She smiled timidly and pushed some of her hair behind her ear. She proceeded to clear her throat and retrieve her pencil and notepad from the pocket of her apron.

"What would you like?" She queried,

"Mm... Could I please have... A slice of Chocolate Fudge cake..." He paused, "And a banana milkshake?"

He glanced up at Kori and chuckled at her disgusted expression.

"What?" He asked, confused,

"I am assuming that you do not wish to eat anything... Proper?" She answered,

"Cake is _totally_ proper!"

Kori snorted in disbelief, "Okay."

With that, she turned away and decided to take care of the order herself. It was not a very difficult order to carry out. She simply had to take a slice from the already made cake and then she had to blend a few ingredients to create the banana milkshake.

She cringed as she poured the slices of banana into the blender and pressed the start button. As the machine buzzed with life, she glanced at the cake that Dick was going to mix with his milkshake. To her, it seemed like such a strange pairing. She shook her head and smiled.

Kori poured the yellow tinted milkshake into a tall glass and placed a blue striped straw into the drink. She continued to pick up the glass with one hand and the plate with the other hand.

She nudged the door with her hip and smiled at Dick as she set his order down on the counter in front of him.

Dick's eyes lit up like that of a child and he grabbed his fork. He shovelled 2 big bites into his mouth before noticing that Kori was staring at him uncertainly. Her eyebrows were raised as if she were waiting for him to do something.

"What?" He chuckled after swallowing the food in his mouth,

"You are mixing chocolate and banana... That is disgusting..." She giggled,

"What!? Says the girl who smothered spaghetti in mustard the other night!"

Kori smirked but rolled her eyes,

"Have you even tasted chocolate cake and banana milkshake together?"

She shook her head slowly,

"Nuh uh! You can't judge when you haven't tasted it! Here." Dick responded. He scooped up some of the delicious cake with his fork and held it up to her. Kori pulled her head back slightly and stared at him,

"I am not supposed to-" Kori started but was cut off by a simple tilt of the head from him. She rolled her eyes and accepted his actions of feeding her. She leaned down and took a sip of his milkshake and shifted her eyes around a little as she considered the taste.

Dick smirked at her, "Well, Anders?" He challenged,

Kori didn't like the idea of accepting defeat but she shrugged, "It is... Strange... Yet pleasant..."

Dick grinned in triumph and brushed his nails against his shirt, "Oh, who was right?" He paused, "Oh yeah, I was!"

Kori lifted her delicate fingers to her cupid bow lips and giggled. Dick gazed at her with a small smile as she laughed. He genuinely loved her laugh. It was sweet, innocent and angelic. It pretty much, summed up Kori.

Suddenly, Dick's smile dropped from his face as he saw Kori stand up straight with a nervous expression painted across her face. He heard the doors of the diner open and it automatically made sense. Dick didn't even need to look up to know who had walked in.

"You're here again, Grayson?" Xavier paused to laugh, "Pft, the food isn't _that_ good."

Dick decided to keep his mouth shut. He didn't feel like arguing or getting into a fight on account of his shoulder. His heart sped up however; he didn't like the way Xavier treated Kori and as his feelings for the red headed girl developed, the angrier he became at the thought of Xavier touching and grabbing and kissing Kori when she didn't want it.

"Hey baby," He greeted Kori. She gave him a brief smile and was forced into a deep kiss. She furrowed her eyebrows and Dick gritted his teeth as he watched Xavier being rough with her and forcing her to kiss him. It made Dick angry to see something like that. It was something that very much so defined the differences between himself and Xavier. Dick would _never_ treat someone he cared about like they were his property.

As Xavier pulled away from the kiss, he turned to Dick with a smirk. Kori stood back behind the counter and averted her eyes from Dick. She felt so embarrassed with Xavier around; he ruined her time with Dick and made her look weak and vulnerable.

"It's okay, Grayson... You'll get a girl someday... Not one like Kori of course." Xavier snickered,

"Mhm," Dick retorted, not interested in what he had to say.

Xavier turned back to Kori, "C'mon, Kor." He stated,

Kori raised an eyebrow at him, "What do you mean, 'come on'?" She asked,

Xavier leaned in closer to her and lowered his voice. Kori assumed he was trying to sound flirtatious but he just sounded like a pig, "I'm really in the mood right now, Kor... For y'know..."

Kori had to bite back the urge to make a noise of disgust. However, Kori's feelings of disgust quickly changed to anger, "You wish for me to leave work so that you can act upon your own feelings of arousal?"

"Basically."

"No. I will not. I cannot leave simply because you wish for me to do so,"

"Did you just say no to me?"

Kori gulped, "Y-Yes."

Xavier narrowed his eyes at her and stared her down for a moment before he cracked a somewhat creepy smirk, "Uh huh... I'll see you later then." He bit out,

"O-Okay." Kori replied, feeling her heart beat faster,

With one last glare directed at Kori, Xavier spun around and left the building.

Dick smiled whereas Kori leaned against the counter and struggled to breath at a normal pace. Dick honestly felt proud of the red headed girl in front of him. She had finally taken a stand against her ass of a boyfriend.

He gently reached out a comforting hand and touched her upper arm, causing her to look at him,

"You stood up for yourself, Kor. That was awesome!" He praised her,

Kori shook her head, "He is angry..." She whispered,

"Don't worry. If he lays a hand on you, I'll personally break his wrist." Dick vowed. Kori favoured him with a soft smile and leaned over the counter to give him a quick hug. Dick smiled against her skin. He loved receiving hugs from Kori. It was as if they fit together perfectly just like a puzzle when they embraced.

However, the hug ended way too soon, for Dick anyway.

"Hey... Kori?" He started, his nerves getting to him slightly,

"Yes?" She returned, sweetly,

"Um... I was wondering... Uh..."

Kori giggled quietly, "Yes, Richard?"

"You know Raymere is having that formal dance thing on Friday?"

Kori nodded,

"Well... I don't know if you'd want to but... I mean... Vic is taking Karen and Wally's taking Jenny and Garfield is going with Rachel..."

Kori smirked, "Riiiight...?"

"So... I was wondering... Do you maybe wanna be my date for the night?"

Kori faked a gasp, "Going to the rivals' school dance!?"

Dick grinned, "Yeah, yeah, Red... Do you... Want to?"

Kori felt her eyes soften as they focused on the dark haired boy in front of her, "I would love to... Strictly platonically, yes?"

Dick blushed, "Pft... Yeah... Obviously..."

Kori giggled but abruptly stopped, "But... Xavier..." Kori fretted,

"We don't have to tell him... It can be our little secret." Dick suggested,

Kori smirked, "Attempting to corrupt the innocent, I see."

Dick chuckled, "I'll text you the details?"

Kori nodded before she glanced down at the remainders of Dick's slice of cake. She raised an eyebrow at him, "Richard, do you know how to use a fork?" She wondered,

"Huh? Yeah, of course,"

"Then why does your cake look like it has been repeatedly stabbed?"

"Don't judge my cake. It's sensitive about the way it looks, Kor."

Kori immediately burst out laughing at his statement. Dick smiled as he watched her. There was his favourite sound again; the sound of her laugh. He would gladly listen to Kori's laugh all day long if he was given the chance...


	5. Chapter 5

Dick exhaled loudly as he fixed his black tie before running a hand through his dark hair to fix it one final time into the style he desired. He had been anticipating the dance since he asked Kori to go with him; he knew she was going to look amazing as usual so he wanted to look good for her in return.

He gulped and lifted his fist up to the door of the Anders' house. With a boost of sudden confidence, he knocked loudly.

He shuffled his feet slightly as he waited for the white door to be opened.

Dick heard the click of the door and smirked at Ryan who looked extremely uncomfortable being in a suit. The red headed boy tugged on the collar of his white dress shirt.

"Damn it. Why are these so scratchy?" He complained,

Dick shook his head and stepped inside, "They're not. You're just a freak." He chuckled, earning a nudge from Ryan. They continued to walk through the hallway into the main room where the large mirror was hung above the fireplace. Both of them immediately checked their appearance in the reflective glass,

"Well, we both look dashingly lame, huh?" Ryan groaned, causing Dick to chuckle, "Oh, Kor will be down in a minute. She had to fix her face,"

Dick tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow,

"Oh right. She had to fix her makeup." Ryan corrected himself,

Dick nodded and glanced around, "Where's your date?" He asked,

Ryan shrugged, "I'm meeting her outside the school,"

"Classy."

"Hey! It was easier for her because she lives closer to the school than here and I knew you were taking Kori so I decided to catch a ride with you guys."

Dick rolled his eyes,

"You want a drink?" Ryan offered, earning a nod from Dick.

Ryan led Dick into the kitchen where he poured a glass of water and passed it to him. Dick nodded his thanks and began gulping the water.

The beverage was cold and unbelievably refreshing. However, Dick couldn't help but feel self conscious as Ryan stared at him the entire time.

Dick blinked and placed the half empty glass on the counter and raised his eyebrow at his friend, "What?" He asked,

Ryan crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, "So... How comes you asked Kori to go to the dance with you?" He paused, "She doesn't even go to Raymere... _You know that..._ "

Dick cleared his throat and tried his best to act nonchalant, "Because... She's nice... And stuff..."

"Ew! Do you have a crush on my sister!?"

"What!? Pft... N-No..."

Ryan eyed the ebony haired boy carefully, as if he was trying to search his face for the truth,

"Would... You mind if I did?" Dick paused, "Hypothetically, of course!"

"Are you kidding me!? You'd be a much better guy for her than the piece of shit she's dating at the moment. Sides, if you guys did go out and you were both happy, that'd be good enough for me."

Dick nodded slowly as he digested that information,

"So... Do you _likeeee_ her?" Ryan pressed, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

Dick chuckled and gave him a swift nod, "Yeah... I really do," He admitted,

"I knew it! That's hilarious."

"Why is it?"

Ryan laughed, "Because my sister is _such_ a troll."

Dick smiled, "No she's not. She's beautiful-" He stopped and froze as he realised that he had said that out loud, in front of Ryan.

"Aw! Isn't that sweet!?" Ryan teased. Dick rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but the sound of Kori's footsteps approaching them stopped him.

The two boys turned their heads towards the stairs where Kori delicately stood.

Dick couldn't help but allow his mouth to fall open in shock at the sight of Kori. He faintly heard Ryan sniggering at his reaction but only just. His hearing had dulled slightly and he became solely transfixed on the girl that stood before him.

"Please... I look... Nice?" Kori stuttered, feeling nervous.

She wore a black dress that had two layers to the skater styled skirt causing it to appear stylishly ruffled. The dress ended just above her knees and was pulled in at the waist by a sleek sash. The top half of the dress was very elegant. It cut across Kori's chest in a sweetheart based style and was beneath a layer of mesh material. The mesh material neatly ran to the base of her neck where a thin piece of the thicker material, similar to the sash around her waist, sat comfortably. Her hair had been simply straightened and left down, allowing the illusion of her hair appearing longer to those around her. Her makeup was kept quite neutral and she had simple black heels upon her feet.

Ryan grinned and folded his arms over his chest, "Yeah, Dick. Does she look nice?"

Dick narrowed his eyes at Ryan briefly before he gave Kori all of his attention, "You look... Beautiful, Kori." He told her.

Kori lowered her head slightly and blushed at his compliment. She brushed some of her hair behind her ear and glanced up at him. They shared a silent gaze and they both faintly smiled at each other until the moment was interrupted by Ryan, who strolled between them,

"Shotgun!" Ryan yelled, heading out the front door,

Kori shook her head at her brother whilst she and Dick wandered out right behind him.

The music boomed throughout the hallways of Raymere High School and the gymnasium was full of blue and white decorations. There were crowds of students and members of staff scattered around the large room.

Dick, Kori, Ryan and his date shuffled through the gaps in the crowds until they stumbled across the familiar faces. Wally grinned as he noticed them approaching and high fived Dick and Ryan as they got even closer, "Hey guys!" He greeted before turning to Kori, "Hey red. So, how so you feel about being on Raymere soil?"

Kori giggled, "It is _so_ daunting!" She joked, causing Wally to laugh.

Vic stepped forward and placed a hand on Kori's shoulder, "Hey little lady," He paused, "I don't think you've met the additional girls of our group,"

Kori glanced up as Jenny and Karen approached her, "Hey girl! I'm Karen Beecher," Karen stated,

"And I'm Jenny Ashbrook," Jenny told her,

Kori favoured them with a friendly smile, "I am Kori Anders," She informed them,

"Oh! You're Ryan's sister, right?" Jenny checked, earning a nod from Kori.

Karen suddenly glanced around, "Where _is_ your brother, by the way?"

Kori rolled her eyes, "I believe he wandered off with his date," Kori explained, shrugging.

Suddenly, a slow song flowed through the speakers. The melodic sound bounced off of the walls of the gymnasium and filled the room. Karen gasped and turned to Vic with a pout, "Baby? Can we go dance?" She hoped,

"Sure." Vic chuckled, taking her arm like a gentleman and leading her out to the dance floor.

Jenny watched them and smiled faintly. All she had to do was bat her eyelashes at Wally before he sighed in defeat and offered her his hand. Jenny squealed and accepted his proposal of dancing.

Kori giggled at the dynamics in Jenny and Wally's relationship; they seemed so happy and comfortable with each other. It made her consider her own relationship with Xavier for a moment. Deep down, Kori was aware that a relationship was supposed to be loving and fun and hers and Xavier's was **nothing** like that.

She was pulled out of her reverie by Dick who lightly and playfully nudged her shoulder. She giggled and looked up at him,

"Do you feel like dancing?" He asked, offering his hand to her,

Kori nodded, "That would be wonderful," She admitted, taking his hand.

Dick led Kori out to the dance floor with other couples surrounding them. He hesitated before he placed his hands on Kori's waist. He wasn't sure how far he could push the boundaries with her and he didn't want to screw a slow dance up with her. In response to his touch, Kori placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled at him. Almost simultaneously, they began to softly sway to the music.

As the song progressed, Kori felt an urge to be closer to Dick so she gently rested her head against his shoulder. Dick was surprised at her movement at first but soon relaxed and continued to sway with her in his arms.

Suddenly, there was a loud commotion from students who were standing by the double doors of the gymnasium as they burst open. Kori and Dick immediately stepped back from each other; both trying to see what was occurring.

Before either of them could verbally question it, there was a loud squeal and a small pink pig snorted and ran past them. Kori's eyes widened as she noticed green and white stripes painted across its stomach.

"... Ashwell..." Dick groaned.

Kori grabbed his hand suddenly and stared at him with a pleading expression, "Richard... You must help me leave. No one from Ashwell can know I am here." Kori told him,

Dick nodded. He understood her fears of being caught out at a school dance at the opposing school. Her classmates would ridicule her and make her feel even more like an outcast.

He led her to the double doors at the back of the gymnasium. They slipped out and hurried down the corridor until they reached a heavy door that led just outside of the building.

Dick flashed Kori a grin as they got outside. The chill in the air caused Kori to shiver but she giggled at their antics of running from the Ashwell students. Dick opened his mouth to speak but Kori eyed Xavier who was standing at the front of the school. She gasped and pushed Dick against the wall so that they were completely out of sight.

This caught Dick by surprise and for a moment he lost his breath. In the short time that he had known Kori, he had never been this close to her in proximity. Part of him wanted to kiss her considering her face was incredibly close to his but the sensible part of him thought that would probably be a bad decision. He kept in mind that Kori still had a boyfriend and although Dick hated Xavier, he liked Kori a lot and didn't want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable.

Kori sighed and stepped away from him, "Apologies... Xavier was at the front of the school but he is gone now..." She explained,

Dick nodded slightly but Kori knew he was somewhat angry. She gently touched his arm, "Is... Everything okay?" She asked in a hushed tone,

"Not really. Ashwell kids always ruin stuff like this. The whole rivalry is so stupid and they take it so literally!" Dick mumbled,

Kori let her hand fall from his arm and she sighed. Dick regretted saying things against her school immediately and opened his mouth to speak but Kori beat him to it,

"I know. I cannot do the vouching for them... They are bad people." She agreed,

Dick smirked, "You really don't like them, do you?"

"No... No, I do not."

Dick smiled, "While your classmates crash the dance and stuff... Do you wanna take a walk around the field?"

Kori tilted her head and gave him a small smile. She nodded and they strolled across the fresh, green grass that swayed a little as there was a light breeze blowing every now and then.

The two of them talked about little things about their lives to connect with one another better and they sat together on the grey stalls.

Dick told her about some personal things such as the death of his parents. It was a tender subject to talk about with other people but with Kori, he felt like he could trust her. He already knew that she would understand how he felt as Ryan had told him in the past that their parents were dead.

After giving him her condolences, she explained about her own life. She told him how her parents had died in a car accident a few years ago and how she and Ryan lived with their grandfather and how their older sister lived in London whilst she studied at College.

Kori continued to talk and they eventually reached a point where Kori began to further express her dislike for Ashwell and the students within her school.

"They are all... So different to me. They are all so mean and only seem to care about themselves." Kori paused, "And yet, I am the one who feels like an outsider,"

"I still vote that you transfer here," Dick stated,

Kori favoured him with a soft smile, "There would be no point... If anything, I wish I could muster the courage to break up with Xavier. He expects so much of me just because I am his girlfriend." She sighed,

Dick patted her shoulder and smirked, "Well, he's an ass." Dick whispered, making Kori giggle.

Suddenly, Dick felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. He brought it out and saw that it was Wally calling. He answered and held the device to his ear,

"Hello?" He started,

"Hey dude! Where are you and Kori at?" Wally queried,

"We're just hanging out at the football field."

"Well, after the douche bags from Ashwell fucked up the dance, Karen said people could party at hers. You in?"

"Mm... Let me ask Kori."

Dick placed his phone against his shoulder for a minute and glanced at Kori, "Do you feel like going to a party at Karen's?" He questioned,

"That sounds fun!" She exclaimed, making Dick laugh.

He held the phone against his ear again and cleared his throat, "Yeah, we'll be there. I'll see you in about 10 minutes."

"Alright. See ya in a while dude."

Dick ended the call and placed his phone back in his pocket. He got to his feet and exhaled loudly. He turned and offered Kori a hand to aid her in getting up.

She smiled up at him and gladly accepted his help...


	6. Chapter 6

Monday afternoon came around quickly and Dick was still unable to drive to and from school. His shoulder had gotten a lot better but Bruce had still instructed him not to drive in fear of his injury worsening.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed as he felt the heavens open up. The rain started to fall slowly at first but quickly changed so that the rain was pouring down across the city of Gotham. Dick growled and gritted his teeth. While the weather was like this, he prayed that the condition of his shoulder would improve soon so that he could drive again. He hated nothing more than having to walk in the rain.

As Dick sped up in pace, he glanced over at the park which was slightly diagonally across from the school grounds. For a moment, Dick stared at the mahogany gazebo as it got drenched with rain and turned a darker shade of brown. He noticed someone sitting on the edge of the gazebo, gazing out across the soggy grass that stretched across the premises.

His eyes widened for a brief second as he realised who it was sitting at the edge of the gazebo, willing the miserable weather to swallow them up completely. He was somewhat far away but he knew Kori's expressions by now and from the look on her face, he was almost certain that she was crying.

Dick tilted his head to the side and furrowed his eyebrows in sympathy for the sweet girl that he had begun to develop feelings for, "Oh no... Kori..." He whispered to himself as he hurried over to her.

He was right about her crying. As he stood before her, he saw that her eyes were a harsh red colour and her makeup had run down her rosy cheeks. He didn't wait for her to look up; he took a seat beside her, "Kori..." He said, in a hushed tone meant to soothe her.

Kori didn't respond to him. She merely turned her head so that he couldn't see her face. She coughed slightly and sniffled. Dick had a feeling that Kori was only acting in a seemingly defensive way because she didn't enjoy people seeing her upset; it was a common trait between the two of them.

Instinctively, Dick wrapped an arm around her and placed his knuckles beneath her chin to make her look at him. His actions were done slowly and gently. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse.

Kori's eyes met his and her expression softened, almost telling him that she was tired of whatever problem it was that she was facing.

Dick used his thumb to wipe away the tears that were sliding down her soft cheeks. He offered her a sincere smile, "Kori, its okay..." He told her, "What happened?"

She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and inhaled a deep breath, "Xavier did the breaking up with me..." She whimpered,

For a moment, Dick felt a huge relief. Knowing that she was no longer in a relationship with Xavier, he felt like he could try and show her how she was supposed to be treated. He knew for a fact that he could treat her better than Xavier ever did.

"But... Why are you crying? I thought you wanted to get out of the relationship?"

"I did... I am very happy that I do not have to be his girlfriend anymore but... I _was_ with him for a very long time... I never expected breaking up with him would be easy..." She sighed, "There was a lot of arguing and he was... Aggressive to say the least however; I am taking joy in the fact that it is over. He stated that we would remain friends; a very pointless request as I do not consider anyone at that school as one of my friends."

Dick faintly smiled, secretly basking in the joy of it too. He softly rubbed her back and stared at her, "Well, it's his loss. Like I told you Kori, you deserve so much better than that jerk. You don't need him."

Kori quirked a small smile, "Thank you, Richard..." She paused, "I am glad that it was you who found me..."

That statement alone had taken Dick by surprise when it had slipped out from Kori's lips but he was shocked even more when she leaned into his shoulder and clutched his shirt. He softly smiled. He enjoyed comforting her like this. He enjoyed simply being close to her and listening to what she had to say.

He dared not breathe in fear of ruining the tender moment he was sharing with Kori but he did gently stroke her long red hair to comfort her even more.

"I'm glad I was the one to find you too, Kor." He returned, quietly. Kori closed her eyes and felt a weight lift from her heart. She snuggled against Dick's chest and timidly smiled. She couldn't explain it but she felt safe when she was close to him.

Another positive side of the end of her relationship with Xavier was the new possibilities with Dick that now presented themselves. She had realised her growing feelings for the boy who was currently sat with her a couple of days after she had met him. She felt comfortable with him. She felt like she could tell him everything and anything that worried her and she was confident that he would try to help her in any way that he could. She had realised a while ago that Dick would never act like Xavier.

The rain stopped falling from the dark clouds about 20 minutes later. Kori hadn't moved from her position that consisted of leaning against Dick's shoulder the entire time. As the rain stopped however; she lifted her head and glanced out across the park.

"The rain... It has stopped..." She noted, smiling at the fresh scent in the air.

Dick smiled at her reaction and joined her in looking out across the park. He exhaled deeply and got to his feet. He was happy about the fact that his clothes had dried off whilst he had taken cover within the gazebo.

He gently took Kori's hand and hauled her up so that she stood beside him. He was reluctant to release her hand but knew he had to.

Suddenly, Dick's phone buzzed in his pocket. He retrieved the device from his pocket and opened the message that he had gotten from Vic. He smiled as Vic had decided to get the group together for a movie and pizza night. Dick smirked and shook his head at the last part of Vic's message which read, "Oh and feel free to invite Kori, Grayson "

He closed the message and peered at Kori who pushed some of her hair behind her ear. He smiled, "Hey Kori?" He began,

"Yes?" She replied, smiling,

"Vic is having a type of movie/pizza night at his tonight. Do you feel like coming too?"

"Oh... I-I do not wish to impose..."

"Kor, Vic asked me to ask you. You wouldn't be imposing at all considering you were invited,"

Kori blushed a little and gave him a small smile, "I would like that..." She agreed. Dick nodded and they started walking towards Vic's house. His house wasn't very far from the school but without his car, Dick felt like the journey was lasting a lifetime; not that he minded. He enjoyed spending the time with Kori.

Dick felt slightly guilty however; he knew that she had only just broken up with Xavier a couple of hours ago but he was desperate to ask her out on a date. He wondered when he should ask her. He didn't want to come across as being insensitive by asking her out so blatantly but he felt that if he didn't ask her now, he never would.

He swallowed his concerns and opened his mouth to ask her out on a date but Kori's voice filled the silence,

"That is Victor's home, yes?" She estimated, pointing at a cream house with a large leafless tree outside.

With that one question from her, Dick's throat went dry and he lost the confidence he had had in his grasp moments ago. He simply forced a smile onto his lips and nodded.

She innocently clapped at getting it right and hurried up to the front door. Dick grinned and shook his head at her carefree attitude. He assumed that although Kori was slightly disheartened about the end of hers and Xavier's relationship, she was also very cheerful about not having him breathing down her neck and monitoring her every move. Right now, she probably felt a lot freer than she had in the 3 years that she had wasted at Xavier's side.

The aroma of pizza filled Garfield's senses as Vic brought the 4 different pizza variations into the room where they were situated. Whilst Vic didn't live in a mansion, his house was impressive. They were currently lounging within the home theatre that had a huge screen placed upon the main wall. The sofa was long and comfortable; it had corners, causing it to look sleek and rectangular. As for Vic's movie collection... It was like they had visited a library for movies. There were so many titles and genres to choose from.

Garfield lit up at the sight of the pizza boxes. Jenny laughed at Rachel who was rolling her eyes at her boyfriend's behaviour. Karen smiled and shook her head whilst she got up. She wandered over to the mini fridge and brought out a bottle of soda and grabbed some glasses for everyone. She and Vic kneeled upon the floor and put down the things in their arms. Vic smiled and gave her a sweet kiss for helping him out with hosting his movie/pizza night.

Vic opened up the pizza boxes, revealing the round pizzas that oozed with cheese and toppings. Garfield and Wally were literally drooling over the sight before them. Jenny had to tug on Wally's shirt slightly to draw his attention away from the food.

Dick watched Kori out of the corner of his eye as Vic cut up the pizza for everyone. She was enjoying herself from what he could tell as she was giggling and talking with the girls. He was trying to convince himself into asking her on a date again but he wasn't sure about the timing.

He shook his head as Rachel passed him a plate with a few slices of pizza on it. He thanked her and sat back against the sofa. He watched Kori idly as she took her own plate of pizza and sat crossed legged beside him once again.

The group all munched on their pizza and slurped from their glasses of soda as Vic resumed the playback of the comedy they had been watching.

Dick's thoughts weren't on the movie or even on the food he was eating. His thoughts solely consisted of what he was going to do about asking Kori out on a date. He really did like her and he wanted to prove to her that she deserved more than Xavier ever gave her. He sighed quietly and hoped that no one had heard him.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Kori playfully nudged his arm, "Is something wrong, Richard?" She queried, keeping her voice below a whisper,

"No... I'm fine," He lied, causing Kori to raise an eyebrow at him suspiciously,

"No you are not... Please, what troubles you? Perhaps I can help..."

Dick held his breath. It was now or never.

"Kori...I... I know you only broke up with Xavier this afternoon but... I... I was kinda hoping you might..."

Kori was practically on the edge of her seat. She was praying that he would end the sentence how she wanted him to.

"I was kinda hoping that you might... Like to maybe... Go on a date with me?" Dick finished, flinching a little at his own request. He felt his stomach and heart plummet; the fear of rejection was becoming more of a reality as the seconds passed.

Kori broke out into a beaming smile and tilted her head to the side. With a rush of emotions, Kori leaned forward and pecked Dick's cheek.

She sat back and offered him a soft smile. Dick was stunned for a moment but took her actions as a positive response to his question, "So...?" He prompted,

Kori giggled, "I would love to go on a date with you, Richard."

"Are you... Sure?"

"Positive," Kori chirped. Dick nodded to her and they both absentmindedly returned their focus to the movie that was playing. Kori felt her cheeks burning as excitement got the best of her. She looked forward to going on a date with the ebony haired boy who was sitting beside her.

Yes, Kori had only just broken up with Xavier but she had been ready for that relationship to end for a while now and she wasn't going to pass up a date with Dick; someone who had caused her heart to race as soon as she had met him...


	7. Chapter 7

Dick and Kori had agreed to go on their date on the Friday of that week. For both of them, the week had seemed to drag on since they had decided to go on a date together. Kori found it difficult to go through the school day without seeing any of the Raymere group. She got along with them all so well and she missed them whilst she had to hang out with Xavier and the others.

Initially, the first couple of days after Kori and Xavier's breakup were filled with the two of them being bitter towards one another. However, Kori decided that it was petty to act in such a way if they had any hopes of staying 'friends' with each other.

She knew that Xavier still had some form of control over her in the sense that he would always interrogate her because his personality was that way inclined. He was the type of person who thought he had a right to know everything about everyone; especially her considering she had been his girlfriend for so long.

Kori sighed as she closed the door to her locker. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and settled her books within her bag. She strolled down the hallway and headed for the main double doors of the school. The day had finally ended and she was tired from her day but she was buzzing with excitement for her date with Dick. Every time that she thought about him in the past week, she had been unable to fight a smile from crossing her features. He was just so sweet and kind and she could honestly see herself happily dating him.

As Kori walked out into the light breeze that flowed within the air, she grimaced at the sight of her 'friends' who were huddled together, gossiping about their weekend plans that Kori didn't care for in the slightest.

"Kori!" Kitten beckoned, causing Kori to cringe. She had hoped that she could simply slip past them without them noticing her but apparently, she had failed.

Kori plastered a fake smile across her lips and forced her legs to carry her over to the group of jocks and cheerleaders. They had no dynamics even close to the group of friends she had at Raymere. They all talked about each other behind their backs and more often than not, none of them were at all trustworthy.

"Hey Kori," Roy hummed, raking his eyes over her form. Roy Harper literally made Kori feel sick. He had tried to get with her so many times and he didn't handle rejection all too well either. She had continuously declined his advances and thought little of him. Kori honestly considered Roy as the definition of pathetic.

"Hello, Roy," Kori responded, trying hard not to let her disgust show.

"Kori, we're hanging out at X's tonight. You coming?" Kitten asked, leaning against Roy in a provocative manner. That was another thing that caused Kori to think Roy was a pig; he had been with Barbra, Terra and was currently seeing Kitten. He was a pure womanizer; it was repulsive.

Kori suddenly registered the question that Kitten had asked her, in her head. She gulped and panicked for a moment. She had her date with Dick and she didn't plan on cancelling but she wasn't sure what her response would be. She knew for a fact that they would interrogate her; especially Xavier. She glanced up at him and he was already eyeing her suspiciously.

"Uh... No... Apologies, I am busy," Kori told them,

"With what?" Terra asked, crossing her arms over her chest,

"It is... Personal." Kori paused, "Perhaps, next time?"

The majority of the group shrugged Kori's excuse off and started walking further into the car park.

Kori sighed, relieved that they had dropped the subject. She froze however as she turned to leave. She felt a firm hand against her shoulder. Kori closed her eyes for a brief moment and remained calm and collected.

She turned around and noticed the mix of emotions in Xavier's eyes. He was confused at her decline of hanging out, jealous that she had other things to do and angry because he couldn't tell her what to do anymore.

"Yes, Xavier?" She prompted, irritated by having to wait for him to speak,

"Are you not coming tonight cause' we broke up?" He asked,

"No. I already told you that we can remain friends and I was being truthful when I said that. I simply _do_ have plans."

"Okay... Then what are you doing?"

"I told you... It is personal."

"Kori, we went out for 3 years. There's nothing personal about you that I don't already know."

"Well that is where you are wrong, Xavier. This is a personal thing which you do not know about."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because you are no longer my boyfriend; I do not _have_ to tell you everything anymore."

Xavier stayed silent as Kori rolled her eyes and turned away from him. This time, he didn't try to stop her. She even heard him as he walked in the opposite direction and hurried to catch up with the others.

Kori breathed a sigh of relief. She needed to get home so she could prepare for her date with Dick.

Dick had told Kori to dress casual and at first she had been very curious as to what they were doing for their first date. However, Kori now understood why she was told to go against a fancy dress. Dick had brought her to the park for their date.

Kori smiled as Dick used his arms to signal this was where their date was taking place, "I promise... It's better than you think." He vowed,

Kori giggled, "Actually, I think the park is a nice change of location instead of a normal dinner date."

Dick grinned and gently took her hand in his. She blushed slightly but allowed him to lead her into the park. Kori glanced around at the grass. The newly risen moon had cast quite the lighting effect across the grounds. She genuinely thought his choice of location for their date was exceptionally romantic.

Finally, after walking for about 10 minutes, Dick stopped which caused Kori to look up. Her smile vanished and her expression was replaced with shock and admiration. He was right; it was better than she thought it was going to be.

He had led her to the wooden gazebo that he had found her sheltering in a couple of days beforehand but it had been completely done up. There were bright fairy lights draped over the roof of the gazebo in a delicate fashion with a couple of lights hanging off of the edge so that the inside was lit up. Kori felt her heart race as she noticed a light blue blanket spread out inside of the gazebo with a couple of white candles lit around the blanket. In the middle of the blanket, there was a light coloured wicker picnic basket. Kori was speechless; she had never seen something so beautiful. Every date that she had ever been on had been the same; a dinner date and a movie or something similar.

"Richard..." She breathed, scanning her eyes over the sight again.

"Do... You like it?" He hoped,

Kori turned her head and faced him, "It is amazing..." She replied,

Dick favoured her with a grin and led her up the steps of the wooden gazebo and they simultaneously lowered themselves onto the blanket.

"Did you do this yourself?" Kori wondered, indicating the decoration of the gazebo,

Dick nodded, "With some help from Wally and Ryan, of course."

"It truly is beautiful..." Kori returned, gazing around at the bright spectacle that surrounded her.

He smiled and reached behind him to grab the picnic basket. He opened the flap of the basket and obtained a clear container of salad, 2 plates, 2 bottles of soda, a loaf of soft white bread, some butter, cheese and ham. He laid the food out in front of her and reached back into the basket and brought out some cutlery.

"Is salad okay? I wasn't sure what you liked and I didn't know if-" Kori cut him off,

"Salad is my favourite." She paused and her expression softened, "Richard, please relax... I am already having a wonderful time with you..."

It was Dick's turn to blush. He cleared his throat and his shoulders slumped a little bit, signalling that he had calmed down ever so slightly. He proceeded to dish out the healthy meal equally between them and cut them a couple of slices of bread too. He smeared some butter over the bread and placed the ham and cheese neatly so that Kori could get some if she wanted to.

Kori picked up her fork and immediately took a bite of the fresh lettuce before her. She closed her mouth as she absorbed the refreshing taste of the salad.

"I did not know that salad could taste better than other salads. This is very tasty!" She exclaimed,

Dick swallowed his own bite and smiled at her, "My butler, Alfred, prepared the food for us."

"You have a butler?"

"Heh... Yeah... Well, we count him as family to be completely honest."

Kori nodded as she took a swig from her bottle of soda. There was a brief silence which was filled with Kori staring at Dick's face. He seemed _so_ nervous around her tonight and she didn't know how to feel about that. She softly touched his hand.

"Richard... Are you alright? You seem... Distant..." Kori explained,

Dick sighed and stared back at her whilst biting his lip. He had certain things on his mind. He really liked Kori and he really wanted to go out with her properly but part of him felt like he was simply... A rebound. She had seemed genuinely excited about the date but he couldn't help but wonder if she actually liked him or not.

"I just... I'm just a little bit worried that... I'm your rebound or something." He paused, "I mean... You broke up with Xavier at the start of this week and I'm just wondering if... You're sure that you're over him... I want you to be sure about this date..."

Kori tilted her head to the side and offered him a soft smile, "I can understand why that would cross your mind but you can relax. I felt trapped being in a relationship with Xavier. He stopped me from doing so many things and hanging out with so many people. He made me feel like some kind of prisoner." She took a breath, "I am certain that I am over him. I feel nothing for him because I know that the version of him that I originally developed feelings for is long gone... Richard, believe me. I would never use someone as the rebound and I would not have agreed to this date if I did not feel ready."

"Really?"

Kori nodded, "Besides..." She blushed, "I believe I have developed... Certain feelings that aided me in agreeing to attend this date..."

He smirked. He was pretty sure that she had just admitted to _liking_ him. He shuffled a little bit closer to her and boldly grabbed her hand, "If you just said what I think you said... Then... I like you too, Kori..."

For a moment, Dick prayed that she had meant that because there was no way he could take that statement back. His fears evaporated as Kori gave him a bashful smirk,

"Good..." She whispered, noting the fact that their faces were only inches away from each others.

Kori breathed deeply and flickered her eyes towards Dick's lips which were parted slightly. She wondered if she should kiss him because she wasn't entirely sure if he was going to kiss her.

He slowly brushed some of her auburn hair behind her ear and ended up cupping her cheek afterwards. Kori gulped as his eyes melded with hers. She felt her breathing stop for a second as she revelled in the idea of kissing the dark haired boy in front of her.

Dick inhaled a deep breath and decided that if she didn't want this, she would have pushed him away by now. So, in a quick motion, he seared his lips to hers. He experienced an immediate rush of emotions and he felt his heart beat so fast that he was honestly scared that it would shoot out of his chest. Kori's lips felt warm and they fit against his perfectly. He also picked up on the fact that she tasted like some kind of strawberry sherbet.

He pulled away after a moment, deciding that he wanted to check her reaction to his impulsive action. His nerves melted away as he saw her timidly smile up at him.

"Was... Was that okay? Did I overstep any boundaries or-" Dick was cut off by the red head smiling at him,

She shook her head, "You did not overstep anything. I am glad that you kissed me. I am glad that _we_ kissed."

Kori leaned her forehead against his and ran a slender hand through his mess of ebony hair...


	8. Chapter 8

Two weeks passed by in a blur after Kori and Dick's first date. They had decided to make things official a couple of days after the date. Dick's nervous behaviour quickly deteriorated as he came to realise that Kori really did like him and wasn't using him in some bizarre attempt to make Xavier jealous or anything.

Kori had chosen not to tell anyone at her school about her new relationship with Dick. She wished she could shout it from the roof of the school for everyone to hear but she knew deep down, that she couldn't.

She felt like the odd one out in her school, for good reasons of course, but she didn't want to emphasise that by letting them all know that she was dating a boy from the rival school. Kori knew that everyone would label her as a traitor and she would get treated like the outcast she felt that she already was.

Kori smirked whenever she thought of the past two weeks that she had spent discreetly dating Dick. They had a connection and both of them were fully aware of that after the first week. They were comfortable around each other and were able to talk about serious things as well as be playful with one another.

They had spent their time together in different ways such as relaxing at each other's house or dining out or even a simple notion of taking a walk together.

The Raymere group had been so supportive of the two of them dating as well. Wally had told Dick repeatedly how Kori was _way_ too hot for him but each time, Dick had laughed it off and sent Wally back to Jenny.

Karen and Jenny were like two girls who were deeply rooted within a romance movie. They had squealed and clapped and asked for every tiny detail when the two of them had revealed their news. Rachel on the other hand was quietly happy for them. She had given them a rare smile and expressed how she was happy about two of her oldest friends getting together.

Vic and Garfield were equally happy for the two of them but had taken to Kori a lot in the past weeks of getting to know her. Vic especially felt she was like a little sister and he had made sure to tell Dick to watch himself and treat her well. Of course, Dick had vowed not to screw it up with Kori.

The only person who Dick and Kori were hesitant about telling was Ryan. Although Ryan had explained to Dick that he wouldn't mind if the two of them dated, he was still worried that Ryan would want to beat the crap out of him for even going near his sister. However, Ryan was extremely supportive and he proceeded to tell Kori that he thought Dick would be a lot better for her than Xavier ever was; something which Kori obviously agreed with.

The red headed girl smiled as she thought about all of that. She considered how quickly she had developed feelings for Dick, she considered how supportive everyone had been and she basked in the bliss that she felt about finally being in a relationship like she had always craved. Dick treated Kori exactly how she had hoped of one day being treated. He surprised her with flowers and kissed her unexpectedly which always made her giggle.

Kori breathed a content sigh and pulled her long hair up into a high ponytail. There was another football game between Raymere and Ashwell tonight and it was apparently special to the students of Ashwell because the game was being played on home ground.

She straightened her cheerleading uniform and secured the black captain band around her wrist. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and left the girls' bathroom after she had decided that she looked presentable.

Kori wandered down the hallway with a slight spring in her step as she hummed a light type of tune.

Suddenly, she felt someone grasp her wrist out of nowhere and she was pulled back into a small closet that was inhabited by brooms and cleaning products.

She was slightly disorientated as she didn't expect it to happen. She spun around and felt for the light switch on the wall. Kori flipped the switch and her heart melted at the sight of Dick who was grinning at her sheepishly.

Kori pressed a hand to her chest, "You frightened me!" She giggled,

Dick chuckled and placed his hands on her waist, "Sorry about that..." He replied, kissing the tip of her nose,

"What are you doing in here?" Kori paused, "Are you not supposed to be... What is it that football players do? Oh yes... Getting ready to _play_?"

He mocked a laugh and rested his forehead against hers, pulling her closer in the process. Kori bit her lip and snaked her arms around his neck,

"I needed to see you before I went out there," He told her,

"Why?"

"Because, you're my girlfriend and you're my good luck charm."

Kori rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to give him a sarcastic remark but Dick stopped her as he captured her lips. He gave her waist a light squeeze while he kissed her and he felt her stroke his cheek.

She moved her hands and placed them upon his chest. Kori gently patted his torso and in response, he released her lips. She wiped the lip-gloss off of his mouth and giggled, "I believe you have to go out and win now."

"Oh, so you're rooting for Raymere tonight?" He grinned,

"I always am," She admitted, running her slim fingers through his thick black hair. He tilted his head to the side and softly smiled. He pecked her lips before he removed his hands from her tiny waist and took a step back from her.

Together, they snuck out of the closet and Kori made sure that no Ashwell students had seen them.

Kori jogged down the hallway and out of the building before continuing over to her fellow cheerleaders on the field. Terra noticed her arrival and threw her arms up in irritation, "Finally! Where have you been?" She queried,

"Oh! I was... Talking to Julia... From Chemistry!" Kori lied, forcing a small smile onto her lips. Terra and Barbra exchanged glances before they gave up on trying to interrogate her. Kitten on the other hand narrowed her eyes at Kori and decided that she would have to keep an eye on the red headed girl. Kitten had a feeling that Kori was hiding something recently and she wanted to know what it was.

Kori sat on the bench initially whilst the game begun. They had already done their routine before Kori had ventured off to the bathroom and got... Diverted on her return. She placed her hands together in her lap and secretly prayed for Raymere to be victorious.

As the final touchdown was placed, the air horn sounded loudly and the score was finalised. Kori fidgeted as she fought the urge to jump up and cheer for Raymere. She watched as the guys all huddled together triumphantly and she couldn't mistake the furtive smirk that Dick shot her.

Kori glanced at the Ashwell students who looked defensive and annoyed at the outcome of the game. She shook her head at them; she couldn't understand how they could be so petty in not clapping for the opposing team. It was just a game, after all.

Suddenly, Kori felt her phone buzz beside her. She picked it up and stood up too. She felt stiff and needed to the stretch after sitting for such a long time. Kori opened the message that she had received from Dick.

 _Wally's having a celebration party; meet me around the back of the school? 3 xxxxx_

Kori smiled at the text and closed it before anyone around her could get a glimpse of it. She placed her phone back in her small pocket in the side of her skirt and began walking away from the football game that had now ended. She watched Dick as he removed his helmet and ran a hand through his damp hair.

Abruptly, Kori bumped into someone and she stumbled back a little. She glanced up and gulped. Xavier.

He broke into a smirk and placed his hands on her waist. Kori's eyes widened at his actions and she wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face and tell him that she had a boyfriend so he would back off. However, she couldn't do that in fear of becoming even more isolated at that godforsaken school.

"Xavier, what are you doing?" She questioned him, crossing her arms over her chest,

"Do you feel like doing something tonight? It'd really help considering we lost..." He asked, coolly. Kori clenched her fists tightly. She knew exactly what he wanted from her in that moment. He would **never** change.

"We are no longer in a relationship, Xavier..."

Xavier chuckled, "Does it matter? It'd just be a little bit of fun, Kori... C'mon... I know you want to."

Kori gritted her teeth and pushed herself out of his hold, "No! Of course it matters. Besides... I cannot."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why does it matter and why can't you hang out?"

"It matters because I refuse to be your friend with the benefits and I cannot because I am... Helping my grandfather at home."

Kori saw Xavier's jaw flex as he digested her response. He mumbled something incoherent and stomped away from her. She cringed at the thought of his hands on her.

She felt a pang of concern. Dick had been looking at her before her encounter with Xavier. She instantly glanced over in his direction. He was marching away from the other players and Kori could see that his fists were clenched by his sides.

Kori sighed and hoped he hadn't seen her and Xavier together for the pure fact; she knew Dick would over think what it was.

The chilly wind caused the trees to shake and Kori to shiver as she waited for Dick at the back of her school. She hugged herself and absentmindedly kicked the mud beneath her feet.

Kori glanced up and her eyes fell upon Dick. He was walking past her whilst his eyes were glued to his phone. She smirked and leaned forwards.

She caught him off guard and grabbed the front of his football uniform and pulled him close to her. His expression was one of surprise at first but it melted away and a smirk formed on his face.

"Greetings. Congratulations on your victory," She whispered, eyeing his lips for a moment.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck, "Heh... Thanks..." He returned.

Kori frowned and released her hold on the front of his shirt. Her eyebrows furrowed as she glanced up at him,

"Is... Everything alright?" Kori wondered,

Dick gulped, "I saw Xavier grab your waist... You're not..." He trailed off but Kori didn't need to hear anymore.

She gently pushed him away from her and rested a hand against her chest. She knew exactly what he was accusing her of. He had clearly seen her with Xavier and assumed that they were getting back together. She felt a genuine pang of hurt in her chest. How could he think that of her?

"You are not serious, Richard..." She paused, accepting his silence as his answer, "I cannot believe you think I would do that to you... I thought we were officially together. Perhaps, I was wrong."

She huffed and began to storm away. Dick panicked and grabbed her waist and spun her around to face him, "Hey, wait... We _are_ officially together... I'm sorry... I just got scared that maybe... You'd want to get back together with him."

Kori stared at him for a minute and her resolve faltered. She cupped his cheek and pecked his lips,

"Do not be silly. Why on Earth would I want to go back to him when I already have a wonderful boyfriend?" Kori paused, "Besides, Xavier is a glempork."

"I don't know what that is in English, but I agree," Dick chuckled.

He stepped back from her and offered her his hand which she took immediately, "Let's go to Wally's," He suggested. Kori nodded and the two of them snuck away from Ashwell territory.

The following day, the students of Ashwell were released from school earlier than usual. There was an open night for some of the lower grades so the whole school were being allowed out earlier than normal. Kori strolled out of the double doors and secured her bag over her shoulder. She was acutely aware of Barbra, Terra and Kitten who were walking behind her, gossiping about boys and shoes.

Kori shut her eyes tightly and took a step in the wrong direction of her house. She was planning on going to Raymere to surprise Dick once he got out of practice. Kori hoped that none of the three girls would question the change in her route.

"Kori?" She heard Barbra call. Kori groaned but spun around with a small smile,

"Yes?" She answered,

"Don't you live _that_ way?"

"Oh... Yes... Er... Today, I am meeting my grandfather in town... That is where I am going..."

Babs and Terra shrugged and turned to leave the school premises, "Oh! Don't forget, Kori... Be at my house for about 5pm tonight for that practice." Terra reminded her, as the cheer practice had been cancelled at school on account of the open night.

Kori nodded and continued to walk in the direction of Raymere High School.

What Kori was unaware of was the fact that Kitten was following closely behind. Kitten had noticed changes in Kori over the past couple of weeks and she wanted to expose whatever it was that she was hiding from everyone else. Kitten didn't like Kori anyway so unveiling whatever secret she had would be extremely fun for the blonde girl.

Soon enough, Kori reached the end of the street and turned a left corner. As she passed a dark blue car, she noted Kitten's reflection in the mirror. She remained calm and pretended that she was still unaware of Kitten's odd stalking movement.

However, as soon as Kori had turned the corner, she sprinted down the street and hid behind a decorative bush on the corner. Kori grinned; she knew she had always been faster than Kitten and finally, that skill had come in useful to her.

Kori sucked in a ragged breath in an attempt to get back some oxygen.

She slyly whipped her head around to stare at Kitten who looked completely bewildered at her sudden disappearance. Kori witnessed her sudden tantrum as she stomped her foot and headed off back the way she came.

Kori exhaled deeply and leaned her head against the fence she was standing in front of. She stood up straight and continued on the journey to Raymere, throwing cautious glances over her shoulder every now and then in case Kitten had come back.

Eventually, she arrived outside of Raymere High School and she leaned against a large oak tree whilst she waited for Dick to make an appearance. She gazed up at the dark sky; she had a feeling that it wouldn't be long until it lashed down with rain.

Suddenly, the sound of the double doors opening caught Kori's attention and she smiled as the figure approached.

"Surprise!" Kori chirped, running up to him and kissing him quickly,

"This is the best way to end my day, Kor." He returned, kissing her forehead.

Kori giggled and opened her mouth to speak but a sudden crackling noise erupted above their heads. They both glanced up as the heaven's opened and unleashed a heavy downpour of rain. Kori squealed loudly as they began to get pelted with cold rain.

Dick chuckled and grabbed Kori's hand. They sprinted over to the large oak tree so that they could stay dry for a moment. Kori pushed her drenched bangs out of her eyes,

"Do you not have your car?" Kori panted,

"No, my shoulder started to hurt this morning so I didn't try to drive." Dick answered, ringing the hem of his shirt.

Kori sighed and leaned her head back against the bark of the tree,

"So, what are you doing here by the way?" Dick paused, "You never visit,"

"I know. My school day ended slightly earlier than usual and my cheer practice was cancelled because of an open night. I thought you might wish to spend the afternoon with me..."

Dick grinned and brought her into his arms, "That sounds perfect." He whispered.

Kori smiled and tilted her head upwards and brushed her lips against his. He quirked a smirk and pressed his lips against hers. It was a soft and innocent kiss at first but that soon changed. Dick pushed Kori against the tree and let his hands roam over her body; not that Kori had a problem with that. She was running her hands through his dark locks and was only aiding the kiss in becoming more passionate.

Suddenly, Dick pulled away and Kori saw an unfamiliar flicker in his eyes. He panted and stared at her with a somewhat serious expression, "You know... The manor is gonna be empty for a while..." Dick mumbled,

"Oh really?" Kori returned in a hushed tone,

Dick nodded slowly as if he was transfixed by her mere appearance, "Wanna come over?"

Kori bit her lip and nodded. Neither of them was planning this to be something quick; they wanted to share themselves with each other and express their feelings for one another in a more physical way.

Dick threw open his bedroom door and pulled Kori inside. He shrugged off his damp clothes and Kori mirrored his actions. As they continued to shuffle into the room, Kori squeaked as they stumbled back onto Dick's bed.

Kori blew her hair out of her eyes and breathed deeply whilst Dick half laid on top of her. The passionate moment stilled for a moment and he gently stroked her face. His eyes shifted suddenly and Kori noticed the blush that crept onto his face.

"Is... Something wrong?" She asked, wondering if he was uncomfortable at what their actions were beginning to lead to,

"I... I feel like I should tell you that... I've never... Um, I haven't-" He stuttered. Kori softly smile and rested a hand on his shoulder,

"We do not have to if you feel uncomfortable,"

"Oh no, I want to... I just thought I should tell you..."

"Well thank you for telling me. I am surprised that you haven't done this before..."

Dick chuckled, "Oh?"

"Well, you are attractive, kind, sweet... I am very happy to share myself with you."

Dick grinned down at her and kissed her lips quickly. He had a feeling he knew the answer to his next question but he just _had_ to ask,

"Have you ever done this before?" He queried,

Kori offered him a sad smile and tilted her head to the side, "I was with Xavier for a long time... It was somewhat inevitable," She paused and allowed her eyes to meld with his, "However, I would trade my first time for now if I could."

Dick nodded and leaned down to kiss her.

Dick couldn't stop smiling. He was so happy that his first time had been with Kori. He sighed contently for what seemed like the hundredth time. Kori giggled from beside him. She was leaning against him comfortably with her hand on his chest.

"Definitely my new favourite activity." Dick breathed, placing his own hand over hers.

Kori smirked and leaned towards him to place a kiss on his lips. The kiss was slow and tender.

Suddenly, Kori's phone started buzzing which interrupted them. She sat back and reached over to pick her phone up.

"Ughhh. Ignore it, Kor," Dick groaned, tugging her arm.

Kori giggled, "I cannot. It may be important,"

She answered the call and held her phone to her ear, "Hello?" There was a pause, "Oh! I believe I lost track of the time! I will be there soon!"

Kori immediately sat up straight but held the sheets to her chest. She ended the call and turned towards Dick who raised an eyebrow at her,

"Problem?" He quizzed,

"I must go," She answered,

"Ugh, why?"

Kori smirked as she got out of the bed and began to get dressed, "As our cheerleading practice was cancelled for today, Terra arranged a session at her house. I am very late for it..."

"Do you absolutely have to go to it?"

"I am the head cheerleader... It would not be very good if I did not show up."

Kori finished pulling her cheerleading uniform on and tied her hair up into a high ponytail. She grabbed her bag and shrugged it onto her shoulder,

"Well, I can easily drive you there if you want..."

"Do not worry about it. Terra lives approximately 10 minutes away from here. I can easily walk."

Dick groaned and threw his head back into the pillows. Kori crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at his reluctance to let her go.

"Again, I am very sorry for having to leave. I would much rather stay with you."

Dick smirked, "Yeah sure you would," He teased,

Kori rolled her eyes playfully and leaned over the edge of the bed to softly kiss him. He sighed and rubbed her arm, "I suppose I can't really be mad."

She smirked, "No you cannot,"

Dick chuckled, "I'll call you later,"

"If you do not, I will." She told him, stepping back from the bed, "Bye Richard,"

"See you later, Kor,"

She nodded to him and headed out of the room. Dick involuntarily smiled. He had been so happy over the past couple of weeks. Meeting Kori and having the privilege of dating her was still something he couldn't quite get over.

Their newfound relationship had been so perfect. They got along with each other like they had been best friends for years but there was one thing that caused Dick to over think slightly.

He felt slightly uncomfortable with the fact that Kori was so very reluctant to tell anyone at her school about the two of them. Every time he thought about it, he managed to convince himself that his small concern was stupid and irrelevant. He knew that she avoided telling the Ashwell group anything because she didn't want to be treated like a complete outsider; she already felt that way. But a part of him continuously wished that he could show her off to everyone in the area...


	9. Chapter 9

The bright lights that hung off of the restaurant dazzled Kori as she wandered up to the entrance. She stopped for a moment and gazed up at the small fairy lights that caused the restaurant to have class and elegance.

She felt someone take hold of her hand and she was brought out of her trance like state. Kori glanced up and smiled at Dick who was sweetly smirking down at her,

"You okay?" He asked. Kori nodded her head and watched the rest of the Raymere group as they filed into the quaint restaurant one by one. Garfield had finally passed his driving test after 4 attempts although, Rachel still refused to get into the car with him even though he had officially passed. To celebrate, they had all decided to go for a meal at one of the local restaurants.

Kori took a step forward in an attempt to follow the others inside but she was tugged backwards slightly. She glanced up at Dick with a small smirk and opened her mouth to question his actions but she was prevented from doing this as Dick quickly pressed his lips against hers. There was a sudden heat that ignited within Kori's stomach and his lips felt warm and soft against her own. Whenever he kissed her, especially when the kiss was unexpected, this was always the reaction that her body carried out.

Dick grinned at Kori's raised eyebrow as he pulled away after a moment, "Sorry... I just really felt like kissing you." He admitted,

Kori giggled, "That is okay. I truly do not mind..." She replied, tightening her grip on his hand.

She turned and pulled Dick towards the double doors that led into the large restaurant. It had a very subtle theme within the building. It was filled with wooden tables that held a range of party sizes. There were pictures on the walls with dark frames around them and there were small graceful ornaments that had been placed on shelves and window sills for aesthetics.

The big group of teenagers shuffled closer to the podium where a smartly dressed woman stood. She smiled and tilted her head to the side a little bit,

"Hello! Table for how many?" She asked, in a high pitched voice,

"8 please," Rachel stated, stepping to the front of the group.

The woman nodded quickly and beckoned them all forward with a wave of her manicured hand. Rachel silently judged the woman. She was a perfected Barbie doll with all the features that she detested. Of course, she would never say it out loud.

They all followed the woman to a large rectangular table that was set up in a corner with 8 chairs around the edges. Wally was the first to sit down whilst the others followed suit. He grinned and reached forward for the menu. Jenny raised an eyebrow but shook her head at her boyfriend.

Once they had all taken their seats, Kori shuffled closer to Dick and glanced at the menu he had in his hands. He smiled and spread it out between them so that they could both see it. Kori wasn't sure why but she blushed. She assumed that it was because she had never romantically been with anyone who was so kind before; Xavier was certainly nothing compared to Dick.

"So, do you have an idea of what you wanna get?" Dick asked, gently moving some of her hair out of her face,

Kori tilted her head at him and softly smiled. As she opened her mouth to reply to him, her eyes widened and her stomach plummeted. She witnessed something past Dick's head that caused her to become fearful. Her heart rate sped up as she saw the all too familiar group that she felt the need to hang around with at Ashwell and of course; Xavier was at the head of the group.

She made a high pitched noise and pushed her chair out slightly. Dick raised an eyebrow at her actions and watched her as she sank to the floor and became sheltered beneath the table.

He chuckled and leaned down to glance at her, "What are you doing?"

Kori's expression remained stoic, "Ashwell," She whispered, signalling for him to look up.

Dick immediately understood Kori's response when he sat up straight and looked towards the entrance of the building. The Ashwell group shuffled in through the double doors and the same perky woman was leading them to a table. He groaned as he realised she was bringing them past their table.

By now, the rest of the table had spotted the group of people that they all shared a hatred for. Wally gritted his teeth and put the menu down.

Xavier was the first to approach them with a wicked smirk painted across his face, "Oh look! Raymere losers!" He sneered,

Kori sat very still beneath the table and gritted her teeth whilst she listened to her ex boyfriend's voice. She hated him _so_ much and knowing that his insults were directed at her friends made her hate him even more.

"Pretty sure you're the losers," Wally grinned and leaned back in his chair, "Haven't forgotten the last game, have you?"

"That was a minor setback," Roy answered, taking a step forward, "Nothing the big game tomorrow can't fix."

"Pft, good luck with winning that," Karen interjected,

"They don't need luck. They'll have the cheerleaders supporting them... That's the aim of cheering but you girls wouldn't know anything about real cheerleading considering you just jump around and make noise... A lot like elephants!" Kitten squeaked,

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Burn..." She said in a monotone, clearly mocking the girl. Jenny flashed Rachel a grin but turned to Kitten with her arms crossed over her chest,

"That must make you guys whales then, considering the amount of _noise_ coming from you during the games." She bit back,

Terra growled and stepped closer to Jenny, "You little-" Terra was cut off by Dick who abruptly stood up,

"Enough... Ashwell, just keep walking to your table," He ordered them, not in the mood for a fight,

"What's the matter, Grayson? Can't handle the comments?" Xavier snarled,

"No, I'm just smart enough to realise that this whole argument is ridiculous," Dick answered, narrowing his eyes at the dark haired boy standing in front of him.

Roy broke the uneasy silence by lightly nudging Xavier's chest, "C'mon, X. They aren't even worth it," He told him,

Xavier kept his eyes locked with Dick as he walked with the rest of the Ashwell group to their table. The tense eye contact was only broken once they had all turned the corner and were completely out of sight.

Dick sighed and sat back down and suddenly remembered that Kori was still beneath the large table, "Kor? You can come back up now... They're gone," He informed her,

Kori nodded and crawled out. She fixed herself as she stood up and sat back in her own seat. She gave into a nervous laugh and brushed the hair out of her eyes, "That was the close one..." She murmured to herself.

Dick stared at her for a long moment whilst a frown settled upon his face. He furrowed his eyebrows and leaned back into his chair, "Yeah... A close one..." He muttered beneath his breath,

Kori turned her head towards him as she could have sworn that he had said something but she shrugged and brushed it off, believing it was just her imagination.

The drive back from the restaurant had reassured Kori that it had not been her imagination. She wasn't exactly sure what it was but Dick was upset or angry about something connected to her. The silence that filled the car was unbearable.

Kori gulped a number of times and she nervously tapped her fingers against her knees. She cautiously threw a glance in Dick's direction. His jaw was set and his hard eyes were focused on the road ahead of him.

"Richard? Are you the okay?" She paused, "You have barely spoken to me for the entire night..."

"I'm fine," He said, coldly,

"Richard..."

Dick gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and suddenly stomped his foot on the brake pedal which caused the wheels to screech a little. Kori jumped at his sudden movements and her breathing became quick, worried that he would start behaving exactly like Xavier.

"Are you ashamed of knowing me or something?" He bit out, turning in the driver's seat to face her,

Kori reeled back as if he had hit her, "Excuse me?" She breathed, clearly confused,

"Every time you've been with me, you've lied to your Ashwell _chums_ about it and I haven't made a big deal of it because I understood why you wouldn't want them to know but... I'm so done, Kori. Tonight, you couldn't drop to floor quick enough to make sure that they didn't see you."

"That is not true!"

"Yes it is! It's like you can't stand the thought of them knowing that you're actually friends with people from Raymere let alone dating one of them!"

"You do not understand. I lie to them so that they do not go ballistic at me and they do not cause stupid and pointless arguments regarding people of Raymere. I lie to them about you so that I cannot be judged by the people of my school!"

"That is exactly my point! You're so worried about what they'll say and for what? You don't even like them! So why do you care!?"

"Because-"

"No, Kori. I'm not gonna be some shameful secret. That's exactly what I feel like I am for you! And all because you're too spineless to stand up for yourself to any of them!"

Kori gritted her teeth, "Fine! If you do not feel like being my 'shameful secret' then do not!"

"Fine then! I won't be!"

Kori digested what that meant and she leaned away from him. Her eyes were wide and her chest was heaving. She felt tears begin to slide down her face as she turned away from him.

She bit her lip and shook her head angrily as she leaned forward to grab her bag. She rapidly shrugged it onto her shoulder and threw open the car door.

Dick felt his shoulders slump as he immediately regretted the whole argument. He reached out a hand, "Kori-" He was abruptly cut off as the car door slammed shut. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Kori storm around the front of his car and up to her front door.

He sighed and knew it would be a bad idea to follow her. It was late and he knew that the argument would only get worse if he tried to make amends. They were both angry and of course, both of them were entitled to the emotions that they felt. Dick felt horrible about the way he handled it however; he was just so hurt that she felt the need to hide their relationship. It made him feel worthless; like she didn't even care about him in the slightest.

Kori struggled to breathe as she became more and more hysterical. She fumbled for her keys but eventually found them and shakily unlocked the front door. She swiftly got inside and slammed the door shut behind her. She let out a strangled cry and pushed herself away from the door.

As she shuffled into the main room, she noticed Ryan who had sprinted out of the kitchen to see her, "Kor? Are you okay? What's happened?" He asked, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder,

With the simple question, Kori released another batch of fresh tears. Ryan brought her into his arms immediately, "Hey... Shh..." He hushed her and led her over to the sofa. They sat down together and Kori reached into her bag and brought out a tissue. She dabbed her eyes gently and sniffled,

"What happened?" Ryan whispered,

"I had... The argument... With Richard..." She hiccupped,

"You argued with Dick?"

Kori nodded,

He rubbed her shoulder in a comforting manner and sighed, "So, what was the argument about?"

"He is angry and hurt at the fact that I have been keeping our relationship a secret from everyone at Ashwell..."

"Well... I do kinda see where he's coming from..."

Kori ran a hand through her hair, "I do too... I understand his frustrations. It does not make me happy to lie about such a thing either. I am rather proud of having Richard as my boyfriend. He makes me _so_ very happy..."

"So, why not just tell them?"

Kori shook her head, "I am scared. True, I do not like the people at my school but I do not wish to give them a reason to make me feel like the outsider that I already feel I am."

Ryan's eyebrows furrowed in sympathy for his sister, "Ah, Kor..." He sighed,

"Oh Ryan, I hate Ashwell... Why were we so stubborn when we decided to attend different schools? I would give anything to be able to attend Raymere instead." Kori cried, allowing her shoulders to droop,

Ryan raised an eyebrow and considered her words for a moment before he gently rubbed her back to soothe her ruffled feelings. She inhaled a deep breath and stood up after a short while. She told Ryan that she was tired and headed upstairs to her room but she knew it was going to be a long night that consisted of tossing and turning. She wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that things with Dick weren't okay...


	10. Chapter 10

There were loud bursts of sound from the instruments of the marching band as Kori tugged on the hem of her shirt. She found the cheerleading uniform somewhat uncomfortable. It was a strange material that made her skin itch and it was way too revealing although; that was to be expected considering Kitten had been the one to decide on the uniforms. Kitten had originally been the head cheerleader before it was passed onto Kori so it was understandable why the blonde brat would dislike her so much.

Kori was well aware that the game was about to start and although she had just finished her cheer routine, she felt jittery and unsure of herself. She and Dick had still not spoken to each other since the previous night.

It was ironic really; the way they were sat at that moment mirrored the moment when they first saw each other just over a month ago. Kori had thrown a few glances in his direction when his eyes were focused on something else. She couldn't help it. Kori didn't want them to be arguing. If anything, she just wanted to run over to him and watch as the rest of the world seeped away.

Although she didn't know it, the exact same thoughts were filtering through Dick's head. He sighed as he tapped his fingers against his helmet which he needed to put on soon. The Raymere cheerleaders were currently performing their routine which allowed Dick the time to think about Kori. When he fell for the red headed girl, he fell hard; a fact that now clearly presented itself. His heart physically ached as he stared at her from across the field. For the past half hour, he had been trying to catch her attention but she was trying to avoid his gaze.

So, Dick had resorted to simply staring at her until she forgot herself and looked up. He didn't have to wait long for that to happen.

Kori flickered her eyes up to his face and she confidently held his gaze. His expression was soft. He didn't want to argue with her anymore. He understood why she would want to keep their relationship a secret and he should have just respected that.

Whilst green and blue melded together from across the grounds, Dick attempted to offer her a small smile. He hoped that she would be able to recognise it as a smile considering how far away she was from him.

She clearly understood his gesture because her shoulders slumped and she gave into a bright, adorable smile. Dick felt his heart start to beat faster knowing that she wasn't angry at him anymore.

Kori gave into a heavy sigh and she felt her stomach do a flip at his signature lopsided grin that he was offering her. She didn't want to deal with the game that was presently starting; she just wanted to run and spend the evening wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket with Dick. That sounded like the definition of a perfect evening, to Kori anyway.

Suddenly, the air horn sounded and Kori was brought back to reality. She saw Dick get up and get into game mode. She furrowed her eyebrows and bit her lip. She was praying to X'hal that he won and came out of the game unharmed. She knew what Ashwell players were like and she knew that they could be very brutal indeed.

As the game was drawing closer to its end, Kori was feeling hopeful of the outcome resulting in Raymere's favour. However, Kori could tell that certain members of the opposing team were growing irritated at their current losing streak and that made her feel nervous.

Specifically, Kori eyed Xavier who was literally on the verge of an outburst; a violent one no doubt. She watched as the tension between the two captains worsened as the game progressed.

Xavier gritted his teeth as he glanced up at the scores. He couldn't believe that they were losing. He clenched his fists and marched up to Dick who was idly standing by the sidelines.

Without warning, Xavier shoved Dick's recently injured shoulder hard. Dick let out a strangled hiss of pain as he fell backwards onto the floor.

The students of Raymere all gasped at the violent and unprovoked move. Kori's hands flew up to her mouth as she gasped. Her eyes widened at the sight and she glared at Xavier. She gritted her teeth as she watched her ex boyfriend walk away, laughing and showing his pride over his actions.

Kori glanced back at Dick with a sad expression. Her heart started racing as she watched the boy she had come to love as he slowly got up with the aid of Wally and Vic. Her eyes focused on the fact that he was clutching his damaged shoulder.

Xavier was well aware of Dick's recent injuries and it was despicable for him to use it to his advantage.

Dick groaned as he gripped his shoulder. He breathed heavily as he hadn't expected Xavier to do that. As soon as he got to his feet, his eyes scanned his surroundings for one face and one face only.

His eyes met Kori's for a moment and he was trying to plead with her through expression. He just wanted her to tell people what was really going on. However, he soon convinced himself that she would never do that.

Kori could practically sense what was going through his mind. She decided that she had to make a decision then and there and all of a sudden, time seemed to slow down for her.

Suddenly, she snapped. Kori lost all care for what others thought and what they felt in connection to her. She wanted to be herself and she was intent on proving something, more so to Dick.

Without a second thought and forgetting everyone around her, Kori sprinted away from where she was standing and she continued to run straight into Dick's arms. She gently touched his face and rested her forehead against his whilst his hands found Kori's small waist.

Dick smiled at her bold actions and he also took amusement in the series of gasps that erupted from both stands.

Kori on the other hand, ignored them, "Richard... Are you okay?" She whispered, stroking his cheek softly,

"My shoulder kinda hurts..." He paused and smirked, "Jheez, your ex is kinda violent, huh?"

Kori giggled and brushed her nose against his whilst she nodded at his statement. Dick allowed his eyes to wander and he glanced around to see that the majority of people on the field were staring at them,

"You know that people are staring, right?" Dick told her,

Kori's expression became serious and she shook her head, "I no longer care." She replied. Dick grinned and pulled his helmet up for a moment. He leaned forwards and gently pressed his lips against hers. In unison, they closed their eyes and became enveloped by the blissful kiss that apparently shocked a lot of people who were unaware of their relationship.

As they parted, Kori noticed Xavier standing right beside them. His hands were balled into fists and his jaw was set tightly. The two of them glanced at him and Kori tilted her head slightly as if waiting for whatever comment he wanted to give,

"Kori, what the fuck! You're dating Grayson!?" He seethed,

"Yes, I am and I do not care whether or not you agree with that. I no longer care for what anyone at Ashwell thinks of me!" Kori fired back, finally gaining some confidence.

Dick smiled at Kori's outburst of bravery. He knew it had been a difficult thing for her to admit but god was he glad that she had made their relationship clear to everyone. Kori huffed and threw her green and white pom poms at Xavier's feet upon the cold ground.

"As far as I am concerned; I am finished with this school!" Kori exclaimed, turning from Dick's arms. He watched as she strolled closer to the Raymere cheerleaders.

Suddenly, Karen, who had been watching everything with a close eye, smirked and jogged over to Kori.

Kori raised an eyebrow at Karen as she held a set of blue and white pom poms out to her. Karen smirked, "You got skills girl!" She paused, "Mind helping your favourites out?"

Kori smirked, "I would love to."

She accepted the pom poms from Karen and joined the rest of the Raymere cheerleaders as they supported the boys. Dick grinned as he watched Kori start cheering for his school but he threw a glance in Xavier's direction. The kid was far from happy. He looked about ready to punch someone in the face.

Dick shrugged and pulled the helmet back onto his head. He chuckled to himself as he sprinted back into the middle of the field to join the others. The horn blew again to signal the resuming of the game.

There were only a few minutes left and Dick was planning on taking advantage of Xavier. Since he saw Kori kiss Dick, he had been somewhat lost. He was confused and was lacking his usual confidence that helped to rein a game in for his school.

Wally shouted to Dick and tossed him the football. Dick took this as his chance. There were 20 seconds left on the clock which would give him just enough time to score the winning touchdown if he took one shot.

He sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him, shoving and dodging members of the opposing team. His heartbeat raced and he could hear his blood pumping. This was literally the definition of an adrenaline rush.

The next moment passed by in slow motion for Dick. He slid across the grass on his knees to escape the grasp of an Ashwell player and slammed the football down over the white line just as the air horn sounded.

Kori clapped her hands enthusiastically and threw the pom poms down on the ground. She dashed across the field with her focus solely on Dick.

He got to his feet and grinned at his successful touchdown. It was immediately that he knew that they had won. His surrounding teammates were shouting and hooting excitedly.

Dick suddenly eyed Kori running towards him so he turned and welcomed her with open arms. She squealed as she collided with him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He fastened his arms around her waist and lifted her up.

Kori giggled and kissed his cheek tenderly, "Congratulations on your victory, Richard!" She stated as he set her down on her feet.

"Thanks, Kor..." He smirked, "I have a feeling you helped. Remember, you're my good luck charm after all."

Kori smiled but playfully smacked his arm. For a moment, the buzzing around them which was being emitted from Raymere students ceased and there was only the two of them.

Dick gently ran his fingers through her thick auburn hair and stared into her deep jade eyes. Kori couldn't help but blush ever so slightly. She always felt her heart skip a beat when Dick stared at her like that.

She softly smiled and hooked her index finger beneath his chin and brought his face to hers. Kori gently placed her lips against his and fell into the depths of the swirling emotions that came with kissing him.

When she released him, she rested her forehead against his and for a brief moment, she couldn't help but enjoy the fact that the two schools had a rivalry. After all, that rivalry had been the thing to bring her and Dick together...


	11. Epilogue

Dick grinned as he and the others stared into the locker that was filled with bright pink and purple objects. There was a string of small fairy lights that hung at the back that made the whole locker seem a lot warmer. Wally stuck his tongue out and groaned,

"Eurgh... It's so _girly_..." Wally commented,

"Seems pretty fitting considering who the owner of it is." Ryan interjected, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kori stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips and smiled confidently, "I like it." She admitted,

"Well, it's your locker; of course you like it," Dick chuckled, leaning against the locker beside hers.

Kori glanced at him and poked her tongue out playfully. Dick smirked and caught her around the waist and pulled her to him. He pressed his lips to hers and her cupid bow lips vibrated as she giggled.

"DUDEEE! I'm cool with you and my sister being a thing but PLEASE no pda in front of me!" Ryan complained, "I won't be able to hold my breakfast down."

Dick released Kori who blushed at her brother's comment and took a step back from her boyfriend. Dick chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Sorry man..." He told him,

Rachel cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest, "Now that Kori has moved in... Can we go eat?" She asked,

"I am so ready for lunch. I skipped breakfast this morning." Karen explained,

"Ew, why?" Jenny returned,

"It's part of a new diet that I'm trying." Karen continued,

Vic rolled his eyes and laced his fingers with hers, "Babe, you don't need to go on a diet." He clarified,

Karen narrowed her eyes teasingly at Vic and lightly knocked his chin with her fist, "Aw you're a sweetie," She cooed, earning a light peck from him.

Wally threw an arm around Jenny and shot his other arm into the air, "TO THE CAFETERIA, COMRADES!" He yelled, guiding them through the hallway,

Jenny shook her head and sighed, "Why am I dating this?"

Wally grinned at her whilst the others laughed.

Dick and Kori didn't follow the others straight away. The two of them stayed by Kori's locker whilst she sorted the last of her things out.

Without warning, Dick spun her around to face him, causing her to giggle quietly. He tilted his head slightly and pecked her lips quickly.

"Told you transferring was a good idea." He whispered,

"I still cannot believe that Ryan transferred me without saying anything..." She responded,

"Well, he's a good brother,"

"Mm... I know he is."

"C'mon... Lunch time." Dick told her, taking her hand in his.

Kori's eyebrows furrowed as she suddenly considered something, "Please, what is the food like here?" She wondered,

"Most of the time, its puke on a plate."

Kori cringed, "Wonderful..."

"But... Wait... What day is it?"

"Friday."

"Awesome! It's pizza day! It's the only good day of the week for lunch."

Kori laughed behind her hand and felt Dick tug on her other hand. She took a moment to lean away from him so that she could close the door of her locker. Then, the two of them hurried down the hallway so that they could catch up with the others.

It may have seemed like a waste of time for Kori to transfer with such little time remaining in the school year but it made so much sense once she was there. Besides, Kori couldn't be happier now that she had escaped from the hell she used to call school...


End file.
